Energy policy in Nebraska, 2009-2017

in Nebraska

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Fracking in the U.S.
Energy policy in the U.S.
State fracking policy
State energy policy
Glossary of energy terms

Energy policy involves governmental actions affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of energy in a state. Energy policies are enacted and enforced at the local, state, and federal levels and may change over time. These policies include legislation, regulation, taxes, incentives for energy production or use, standards for energy efficiency, and more. Stakeholders include citizens, politicians, environmental groups, industry groups, and think tanks. A variety of factors can affect the feasibility of federal and state-level energy policies, such as available natural resources, geography, and consumer needs.

This article outlines state-level oil and gas regulations, renewable energy programs, oil and gas production, energy usage, energy and electricity prices, fuel taxes, and utilities in Nebraska.

See the tabs below for further information:

1. Policy: This tab provides information about state regulations on energy production and policies related to oil and gas production, fracking, renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and net metering.
2. Production: This tab provides information about total energy production by energy source in Nebraska.
3. Usage: This tab presents information about electricity consumption by energy source.
4. Prices and taxes: This tab presents information about average energy and electricity prices, per capita spending on energy, and fuel taxes.
5. Utilities: This tab presents information about public and private utilities, electricity markets, the types of utilities in Nebraska, and the electric reliability organizations in Nebraska.
6. Background: This tab provides information about the types of nonrenewable and renewable energy sources produced and used in the United States, an energy profile of Nebraska, a state profile of Nebraska from the Almanac of American Politics (2016), and economic indicators in the state, such as median income.

Policy

State regulations

The Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has regulatory authority over oil and natural gas operations in the state. State rules and regulations cover the drilling of all wells used for oil or gas exploration, the spacing of wells, permitting requirements for oil and gas operators, injection wells used to enhance oil and gas recovery or to dispose of wastewater, the cementing and plugging of wells, the underground storage of natural gas, the prevention of well blowout and leaks, well restoration, reporting requirements, and more. All Nebraska rules and regulations related to oil and gas operations can be accessed here.^[1]

Fracking

See also: Fracking in Nebraska

The Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission is responsible for regulating hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) in Nebraska. The commission enforces regulations for the reporting and disclosure of the types of fluids used in fracking and at what volume, a description of each chemical additive used in fracking, the maximum amount of surface and injecting pressure used during the process, well safety, and other information considered necessary by the commission for the regulation of fracking. More detailed information on oil and gas rules and regulations can be found in Chapter 3, Section 42 of the Oil and Gas Code.^[2]

Renewable energy policies

States have implemented funding and financial incentive programs to subsidize or otherwise increase investment in renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. These programs include renewable portfolio standards, grants, rebate programs, tax incentives, loans, performance-based incentives, and more. The aim of the policies generally involves reducing the cost of renewable energy production for consumers, reducing regulatory compliance costs, reducing investment risks involving renewable energy, and/or increasing the adoption of renewable energy sources by individuals and businesses.^[3]

Renewable Portfolio Standard

See also: Renewable Portfolio Standard

A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), also known as a renewable electricity standard, is a mandate intended to increase the amount of renewable energy production and use. Under these standards, a utility company can be required by a state to have a certain percentage of its electricity come from certain renewable energy resources. In addition, states may give tax credits to utility companies to fulfill these requirements.^[4][5]

As of February 2017, Nebraska was one of 20 states that did not have a Renewable Portfolio Standard or a voluntary renewable energy standard or target.^[6]

Grant programs

States, nonprofit organizations, and/or private utilities may operate grant programs for renewable energy. These programs may include state or private funding for energy installation costs, research and development, infrastructure and business development, system testing, and renewable energy feasibility studies (studies that look into the potential for renewable energy use in specific areas). Grants can be provided with or without requiring a recipient to match the grant. Additional incentives, such as lower interest loans, may be included with a grant.^[3]

As of March 2015, Nebraska was one of 26 states that did not have state-run, utility-run, or locally run grant programs for renewable energy. See the map below for grant programs by state.^[3]

Loan programs

Loan programs may be used to offer lower interest loans or other financing options to individuals and businesses to reduce the upfront costs of purchasing and installing renewable energy technologies. Loan programs may include programs that use payments from earlier borrowers to provide loans for new borrowers, programs in which building owners reduce their energy consumption to pay their upfront costs for renewable energy technologies, and programs that allow individuals with a higher debt-to-income ratio to purchase homes that use less energy, among others.^[3]

As of March 2015, Nebraska was one of 36 states with a state-run loan program for renewable energy technologies. The Nebraska Energy Office administers the Nebraska Dollar and Energy Savings Loan program, which provides loans to residential and commercial customers of electricity. Eligible renewable energy projects include photovoltaic solar energy, wind energy, solar water heating, and fuel cells powered by renewable energy. Other renewable energy projects are eligible if an energy audit shows that a proposed project will result in energy savings and payback of the loan. The State Energy Office operates the loan with Nebraska banks, credit unions, and savings and loan institutions, which must receive approval from the state to provide loans. From 1990 (when the program was enacted) to August 2011, the program distributed around $250 million for approximately 26,000 projects.^[3][7]

A complete list of state, local, and private incentive, loan, grant, and assistance programs for renewable energy and energy efficiency in Nebraska can be found here.

See the map below for renewable energy loan programs by state.

Energy efficiency regulations

As of February 2017, Nebraska required all new residential and commercial buildings to meet energy efficiency standards. All residential and commercial buildings must meet energy efficiency standards for heating, ventilating, air conditioning, water heating, and lighting found in the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.^[6][8]

Net metering

Net metering is a billing system in which customers who generate their own electricity, usually using renewable sources (such as solar panels) are able to sell their excess electricity back to the electric grid, which is an interconnected network that is used to deliver electricity. This requires electricity to be able to flow both to and from a consumer.^[9][10][11]

As of October 2016, Nebraska was one of 41 states with a statewide net metering policy. In 2009, the Nebraska State Legislature enacted statewide net metering rules for all electric utilities in the state. Utilities must provide net metering to customers with a qualified facility. Qualified facilities must generate electricity from solar energy, landfill methane gas, wind energy, biomass, hydroelectric power, or geothermal energy at a capacity of 25 kilowatts (kW) or below. For a complete list of net metering programs by state, click here.^[6][12][13]

Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent energy policy bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Nebraska State Legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Ballot measures

Energy policy ballot measures

See also: Energy on the ballot and List of Nebraska ballot measures

Ballotpedia has covered 2 ballot measures relating to state and local energy policy in Nebraska.

1. Nebraska Energy Tax Exemptions, Amendment 3 (1978)
2. Nebraska Tax Exemptions for Energy Conservation Improvements, Amendment 3 (1980)

Utility policy ballot measures

See also: Local utility tax and fees on the ballot

Ballotpedia has not covered any ballot measures relating to local utility tax and fees in Nebraska.

Production

The sections below include statistics on total energy production in Nebraska, oil and natural gas production in Nebraska, oil and gas production in Nebraska over time (2004-2014), and oil and gas production on federal land, including the amount of federal land leased in Nebraska for production.

Total energy production

The table below provides information regarding energy production in Nebraska in British thermal units (Btu). A British thermal unit is used to measure the heat contained in different fuels. The U.S. Department of Energy defines a Btu as "the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit." Fuels are discussed in terms of Btu to compare fuels with different energy content and prices. For example, one gallon of gasoline equals 120,524 Btu.^[14]

Energy production, 2014 (in billion Btu)
State	Biomass	Coal	Crude oil	Nuclear energy	Natural gas	Renewable	Total*
Nebraska	235,095	0	17,690	105,655	418	277,937	636,795
Iowa	526,781	0	0	43,431	0	713,583	1,283,795
Kansas	72,366	1,474	287,158	89,512	317,377	185,129	953,016
South Dakota	144,400	0	10,428	0	15,878	223,482	394,188
U.S. average	38,759	404,181	307,301	160,980	585,731	187,132	1,684,085
*Total figures were computed by Ballotpedia. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Nonrenewable energy production

The table below provides information regarding nonrenewable energy production in Nebraska. For coal data, the phrase productive capacity refers to the maximum amount of coal that could be expected to be produced in 2014. The natural gas and crude oil production data refer to the amounts of natural gas and crude oil produced in December 2014 and April 2016, respectively.^[15][16]

Nonrenewable energy production
State	Coal, productive capacity (short tons)	Natural gas (million cubic feet)	Crude oil (thousand barrels)
Date	2014	December 2014	April 2016
Nebraska	0	34	168
Iowa	0	0	0
Kansas	64,573	22,380	3,104
South Dakota	0	1,282	121
U.S. average	24,874,314	43,350	4,388
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Oil and gas production (2004-2014)

Note: This section provides information about oil and gas production on private and state-owned lands. Information on oil and gas production on federal lands is accessible here.

The graph and table below provide information about crude oil production in Nebraska. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparative purposes.^[17]

Crude oil production in Nebraska and select surrounding states, in thousand barrels
State	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	Percent of total 2014 production	2014 Rank
Nebraska	2,506	2,408	2,313	2,335	2,394	2,239	2,331	2,542	3,025	2,808	3,038	0.1%	22
Iowa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%	N/A
Kansas	33,879	33,620	35,668	36,590	39,663	39,466	40,468	41,507	43,743	46,845	49,522	1.56%	10
South Dakota	1,357	1,469	1,394	1,664	1,694	1,658	1,606	1,615	1,754	1,847	1,791	0.06%	25
United States	1,991,394	1,891,227	1,857,044	1,853,166	1,830,002	1,952,670	2,000,861	2,060,398	2,377,806	2,722,171	3,180,813	--	--
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Crude Oil Production" Note: The data above are field production data.

The graph and table below provide information about natural gas production in Nebraska. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparative purposes.^[18]

Natural gas production in Nebraska and select surrounding states, in million cubic feet (MMCF)
State	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Percent of total 2013 production	2013 rank
Nebraska	1,466	1,499	1,201	1,217	1,560	3,083	2,916	2,255	1,980	1,328	1,032	0.0%	28
Iowa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%	N/A
Kansas	420,027	398,197	378,250	372,029	366,859	375,314	355,394	325,591	309,952	296,299	292,467	0.97%	14
South Dakota	11,605	11,768	11,349	10,616	11,880	12,007	12,927	12,540	12,449	15,085	16,205	0.05%	24
United States	24,118,978	23,969,678	23,456,822	23,535,018	24,663,656	25,636,257	26,056,893	26,816,085	28,479,026	29,542,313	30,005,254	--	--
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production" The data presented above are gross withdrawals in million cubic feet (MMCF). Production data for 2014 were estimated for some, but not all, states; "--" indicates data were not available.

Oil and gas production on federal land

See also: Oil and natural gas extraction on federal land

The federal government leases federally managed land to private individuals and companies for energy development, including crude oil and natural gas drilling, solar energy development, and geothermal energy development. Approximately 166 million acres of federal land were available to be leased for energy development as of December 2014. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for regulating oil and gas drilling on federal lands in the United States.^[19][20]

The table below provides information about oil and natural gas production on federal lands in Nebraska in 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.^[21][22]

Oil and natural gas production on federal land, 2014
State	Oil production (in thousands of barrels)	Natural gas production (in million cubic feet)
Nebraska	26	1
Iowa	0	0
Kansas	190	4,038
South Dakota	201	113
U.S. average	2,976.06	49,996.92
Source: Office of Natural Resource Revenue, "Statistical Information"

Land leased

Private oil and natural gas companies apply for leases from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop energy resources on federal lands. After a lease is approved, the company must submit information to the BLM about how it will conduct its drilling and production operations. The BLM also inspects a company’s operations during production.^[23]

The table below provides information about oil and gas producing leases and acres on federal lands in Nebraska from 2013 to 2015. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Oil and gas producing leases and acres on federal land by state, 2013-2015
State	FY 2015	FY 2014	FY 2013
Producing leases	Producing acres	Producing leases	Producing acres	Producing leases	Producing acres
Nebraska	19	8,825	19	8,825	19	8,825
Iowa	0	0	0	0	0	0
Kansas	437	109,392	438	109,552	439	109,432
South Dakota	82	48,482	79	44,589	79	44,589
U.S. average	485	257,505	483	258,996	480	262,870
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Oil and Gas Statistics"

Energy usage

The section below includes statistics on electricity consumption in the state by energy type (in 2014).

Consumption

The table below provides information about energy consumption by source in Nebraska in 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.^[15]

Energy consumption in Nebraska, 2014 (in billion Btu)
State	Coal	Crude oil and petroleum products	Natural gas	Nuclear energy	Solar	Wind	Geothermal	Hydropower	Wood and wood waste	Biomass
Nebraska	276,544	242,555	179,544	105,655	60	26,028	1,212	11,010	4,531	102,397
Iowa	401,151	439,727	342,431	43,431	380	155,077	1,281	8,356	21,708	241,138
Kansas	316,572	368,066	289,697	89,512	67	103,135	974	154	8,433	45,862
South Dakota	33,062	117,723	83,464	0	10	22,218	1,868	52,288	2,699	62,730
U.S. average	359,931	716,746	544,353	172,585	20,739	531,323	16,555	61,397	65,345	101,581
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Prices and taxes

The sections below include information on energy prices and spending in Nebraska, fuel taxes and state taxes in Nebraska and in neighboring states, and an overview of the federal tax on gasoline.

Energy prices

The price of electricity is affected by supply and demand. The supply of electricity is affected by fuel prices, environmental and energy regulations, power plant capacity, weather, and other factors. Demand for electricity also affects the price. Because electricity cannot be stored for long periods of time, it must be produced and used when it is needed. As demand for electricity increases, the price also generally increases.^[24][25]

The table below provides information about energy prices in Nebraska as of April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.^[15]

Note: In comparing dollar amounts across the states, it is important to note that the cost of living can from state to state and within a state. The amounts given on this page have not been adjusted to reflect these differences. For more information on "regional price disparities" and the Consumer Price Index, see the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Energy prices in Nebraska
State	Natural gas Dollars per thousand cubic foot	Electricity Cents per kilowatthour
Date	April 2016	April 2016
Nebraska	$7.91	8.8
Iowa	--*	7.7
Kansas	$11.41	10.2
South Dakota	$6.85	9.6
U.S. average	$11.20	10.41
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Electricity prices can vary depending on the type of consumer; consumer categories include residential, commercial, industrial, and in some cases, transportation. The rate-making process is both political and economic. The table below presents information about electricity prices by consumer type in Nebraska in April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Electricity prices in Nebraska by sector (in cents per kilowatthour)
State	Commercial	Industrial	Residential	Transportation	Average (all sectors)
Date	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016
Nebraska	8.7	7.4	10.7	8.7	8.8
Iowa	8.7	5.0	11.7	8.7	8.5
Kansas	10.3	7.4	13.5	10.3	10.4
South Dakota	9.3	7.4	11.4	9.3	9.4
U.S. average	10.48	7.45	13.05	10.47	10.36
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Energy spending

The table below provides information about energy spending in Nebraska as of 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Energy spending in Nebraska, 2014 (in millions of dollar except per capita spending)
State	Petroleum	Coal	Natural gas	Nuclear	Per capita spending
Nebraska	$6,517	$396	$1,125	$81	$5,486
Iowa	$11,483	$723	$2,579	$35	$5,796
Kansas	$8,945	$569	$1,755	$58	$5,046
South Dakota	$3,156	$72	$549	$0	$5,648
U.S. average	$17,267	$1,322	$3,786	$574	$5,304
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Fuel taxes

Revenue collected by federal, state, and local governments from fuel taxes is usually used to fund transportation infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Some states may charge an excise tax based on how much gas or diesel is purchased. Some states may charge retail tax based on the average price of gas over a certain period. Additionally, some states may charge an environmental tax to be used for environmental projects. The Tax Foundation, which created the map to the right, used data from the American Petroleum Institute, which converted each state's different tax structure into cents per gallon to compare each state's gas taxes. In 2016, gas taxes accounted for 23 percent of the price of gasoline. Crude oil accounted for 40 percent of the price of gasoline, refining accounted for 24 percent of the price, and distribution and marketing accounted for 13 percent of the remainder.^[26][27]

The table below provides information about state fuel taxes by type (excluding the federal gas taxes) in Nebraska as of January 2016. As of January 2016, Nebraska levied a 27.7 cent state gasoline tax and a 27.1 cent state diesel tax. Nebraska ranked 28th highest in total gasoline taxes (federal and state) and 28th highest in total diesel fuel taxes as of January 2016.^[28][29]

State motor fuel taxes in cents per gallon, January 2016
State	State gasoline tax	Total gasoline tax	Rank	State diesel tax	Total diesel tax	Rank
Nebraska	27.7	46.1	28	27.1	51.5	28
Iowa	32.0	50.4	14	33.5	57.9	13
Kansas	24.0	42.4	31	26.0	50.4	31
South Dakota	30.0	48.4	22	30.0	54.4	21
U.S. average	30.29	48.69	N/A	30.01	54.41	N/A
Source: American Petroleum Institute, "Motor Fuel Taxes"

Federal tax

The first federal tax on gasoline was proposed by Secretary of the Treasury Ogden L. Mills under President Herbert Hoover (R) as a revenue generating measure to balance the budget during the Great Depression. A 1-cent tax per gallon of imported gasoline and fuel oil was passed as part of the Revenue Act of 1932 and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D). The 1-cent tax continued until 1951 when the tax was increased to 2 cents in part to raise revenue during the Korean War. In 1956, the tax was raised to 3 cents to fund the Interstate Highway System. During this time, the Highway Trust Fund was created as a means to fund highway construction. Since 1956, there have been increases to the tax. As of April 2016, the gas tax was last raised by President Bill Clinton (D) in 1993 to 18.4 cents per gallon.^[30]

Utilities

The sections below include general information on utilities, an overview of utilities and electricity markets, information on the types of utilities in Nebraska, an overview of electricity reliability organizations (EROs), and the EROs that oversee electricity in Nebraska.

Background

Utilities are firms that own and/or operate facilities to generate, transmit, and/or distribute electricity, gas, and/or water to the public. Electric utilities are commercial entities that own and operate facilities to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to the public and/or the industrial sector. State and local regulators oversee transmission and distribution charges. Local utilities read electric meters and bill individuals or businesses, generally on a monthly basis.^[31][32]

Utilities are defined differently in each state and in federal legislation. Two general types of utilities are private and public utilities. Private utilities, commonly known as investor-owned utilities, provide stocks to investors and sell bonds. These utilities are regulated by state regulatory agencies. State agencies are also responsible for setting retail rates charged by investor-owned utilities, overseeing utility infrastructure, and ensuring that investor-owned utilities respond to customer service demands. Public utilities include government or municipally owned utilities. Another type of utility is an electric cooperative. Cooperatives are nonprofit businesses voluntarily owned and managed by the individuals and businesses that use their services. They are commonly used in rural areas that do not have access to a larger state or region-wide electric grid.^[32]

Electricity markets

Electricity markets in each state are defined as regulated or deregulated. A regulated market includes utilities that own and manage the power plants that generate the electricity, the electricity transmission lines, and the distribution equipment (such as wires and electric poles). In addition, the utilities rates are approved and regulated by local and state agencies. A deregulated market requires utilities to divest ownership in the generation and transmission of electricity. In this market, utilities oversee the interconnection from a meter at a household or business to the power grid and is responsible for billing ratepayers.^[33][34]

Electric reliability organizations

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to designate an electric reliability organization (ERO) for the United States. An ERO oversees the reliability of a nation's electric grid. In 2006, FERC granted authority to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop and enforce grid reliability standards for the United States. NERC, a self-regulated nonprofit corporation, is authorized to enforce grid reliability standards for all users, owners, and operators of the U.S. electrical system.^[35]

NERC works with eight regional reliability organizations to oversee the U.S. electrical system. These organizations, known as regional entities, are composed of officials from investor-owned utilities, federal power agencies, electric cooperatives, and state and municipal utilities. Regional entities enforce NERC and regional reliability standards. Further, they forecast electricity demand and coordinate operations with other regional entities.^[36]

Nebraska EROs

As of February 2017, the Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO) was the NERC-affiliated corporation that oversees electricity in Nebraska. The MRO conducts studies and assessments of the electricity grid, conducts long-term planning, and develops regional standards for electricity reliability.^[37]

Background

The sections below include an overview of the types of renewable and nonrenewable energy produced and consumed in the United States, an energy profile of Nebraska (from the U.S. Energy Information Administration), a general profile of Nebraska (from the 2016 edition of the Almanac of American Politics), and various economic indicators in Nebraska.

Background on energy resources

Nonrenewable energy sources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas (sometimes known as fossil fuels), and renewable sources, such as hydropower, wind, biofuels, and solar energy, are produced in each state, though at different levels depending on a state's geography, energy consumption, and the raw materials available in a particular state. For example, several states do not have coal, oil, and/or natural gas resources. States that lack these resources import these fuels.^[38]

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, oil, coal, and natural gas comprise the majority of the resources used to generate power in the United States. In 2014, the top five energy-producing states were the top five fossil fuel-producing states—Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and West Virginia. These states' fossil fuel production accounted for approximately 42 percent of U.S. energy production in 2014. States with fewer coal, oil, and natural gas resources generally consume less energy. In 2014, the bottom five energy-producing states—Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Hampshire—produced 0.2 percent of U.S. energy and consumed approximately 2 percent of total U.S. energy.^[38]

The production of biofuels (liquid fuels created from plant or plant-derived materials) is generally concentrated in the Midwest—states such as Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota) given the region's agricultural production of crops such as corn, which is used to make ethanol, a biofuel that can be blended with gasoline and used as a transportation fuel.^[38]

Other renewable sources are used to generate power in the states include hydroelectric power, which accounted for about half of all renewable energy production in the United States in 2014.^[38]

Nebraska energy profile

As of 2015, crude oil was produced in Nebraska, and the state's reserves accounted for less than 0.1 percent of total U.S. proved oil reserves. In addition, the state did not have crude oil refineries. Petroleum pipelines in Nebraska deliver crude oil from Western states, such as Wyoming, to oil refineries in the Midwest. In 2014, approximately 40 percent of the petroleum consumed in Nebraska was diesel fuel, which is used by Nebraska farmers during agricultural production.^[15]

In 2015, Nebraska produced less than 500 million cubic feet of natural gas from fewer than 150 producing wells, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nebraska relied mainly on interstate delivery of natural gas to meet demand as of 2015.^[15]

As of 2015, coal-fired power plants accounted for approximately 60 percent of the state's net electricity generation. Nuclear power accounted for around 25 percent. Other sources of electricity in Nebraska included wind energy, natural gas, hydroelectric power, biomass, and petroleum.^[15]

State profile

Demographic data for Nebraska
	Nebraska	U.S.
Total population:	1,893,765	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	76,824	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	88.1%	73.6%
Black/African American:	4.7%	12.6%
Asian:	2%	5.1%
Native American:	0.9%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.2%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	10%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	90.7%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	29.3%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$52,997	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	14.6%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Nebraska. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Nebraska

Nebraska voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Nebraska, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.^[39]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nebraska had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More Nebraska coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Nebraska
• United States congressional delegations from Nebraska
• Public policy in Nebraska
• Endorsers in Nebraska
• Nebraska fact checks
• More...

Economic indicators

See also: Economic indicators by state

Broadly defined, a healthy economy is typically one that has a "stable and strong rate of economic growth" (gross state product, in this case) and low unemployment, among many other factors. The economic health of a state can significantly affect its healthcare costs, insurance coverage, access to care, and citizens' physical and mental health. For instance, during economic downturns, employers may reduce insurance coverage for employees, while those who are laid off may lose coverage altogether. Individuals also tend to spend less on non-urgent care or postpone visits to the doctor when times are hard. These changes in turn may affect the decisions made by policymakers as they react to shifts in the industry. Additionally, a person's socioeconomic status has profound effects on their access to care and the quality of care received.^[40][41][42]

In Nebraska, the median annual household income was about $55,107 from 2011 to 2013, which was highest among its neighboring states. The state had an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent in September 2014. Nebraska and its neighbors all had relatively similar economic indicators.^{[43][44][45][46]}

Note: Gross state product (GSP) on its own is not necessarily an indicator of economic health; GSP may also be influenced by state population size. Many factors must be looked at together to assess state economic health.

Various economic indicators by state
State	Distribution of population by FPL* (2013)	Median annual income (2011-2013)	Unemployment rate	Total GSP (2013)†
Under 100%	100-199%	200-399%	400%+	Sept. 2013	Sept. 2014
Nebraska	11%	17%	36%	36%	$55,107	3.9%	3.6%	$109,614
Iowa	11%	18%	35%	36%	$53,364	4.5%	4.6%	$165,767
Kansas	13%	18%	34%	34%	$49,804	5.3%	4.8%	$144,062
South Dakota	11%	17%	35%	37%	$50,488	3.7%	3.4%	$46,732
United States	15%	19%	30%	36%	$52,047	7.2%	5.9%	$16,701,415
* Federal Poverty Level. "The U.S. Census Bureau's poverty threshold for a family with two adults and one child was $18,751 in 2013. This is the official measurement of poverty used by the Federal Government." † Median annual household income, 2011-2013. ‡ In millions of current dollars. "Gross State Product is a measurement of a state's output; it is the sum of value added from all industries in the state." Source: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, "State Health Facts"

See also

• Energy policy in the U.S.
• Fracking in Nebraska
• Net metering
• Renewable Portfolio Standard
• Environmental policy in Nebraska

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