Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

Articles written by Val Ankeny


Sorted by date  Results 1 - 3 of 3

  • Direct payment opportunity for projects of tax-exempt entities

    Val Ankeny, Center for Rural Affairs|Oct 23, 2024

    Public school administrators and board of education members across the country face tough decisions when it comes to addressing how to pay for the repair or replacement of aging equipment, vehicles and infrastructure. The direct-pay provision in the Inflation Reduction Act enables schools and other tax-exempt groups to receive certain clean energy and climate-related tax credits as direct cash refunds from the Internal Revenue System. Entities can receive up to 30% of a clean energy project’s co...

  • Energy funding available for Nebraska communities

    Val Ankeny, Policy associate Center for Rural Affairs|Apr 17, 2024

    Renewable energy development, energy conservation and energy efficiency improvements offer an opportunity for rural communities to save money, become more energy-resilient and increase the reliability of the electric grid. While many Nebraska communities are interested in such improvements, the upfront costs associated with energy-related projects have often been initially prohibitive, until now. The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced a funding opportunity for Nebraska communities....

  • Winter storm demonstrates importance of diverse energy sources

    Val Ankeny, Policy associate and Center for Rural Affairs|Feb 7, 2024

    Significant snow, wind, and brutally cold temperatures impacted Nebraska in January. Given the frequency of extreme weather events experienced across the U.S. during the past several years, preparing for emergencies is an important consideration for utilities and regulators. Extreme weather events have an outsized impact on the electric grid and show the necessity of protecting its integrity and resiliency. Between Jan. 8 and 17, large portions of Nebraska spent more than 80 consecutive hours...