A new report says Nebraska is underutilizing wind power, and suggests that the economy may be suffering because of it.
The report says the state trails its neighbors in tapping the resource and in the potential economic boost it could bring.
A group of lawmakers and environmental advocates released a report Thursday that ranks Nebraska as the fourth-best wind-resource state in the nation.
However, Nebraska only ranks 25th when it comes to installed wind capacity. Nebraska ranks lower all its neighboring states: Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado and Kansas.
Skip Laitner, an Arizona-based energy economist who authored the report, says expanding wind energy could save Nebraska consumers a combined $3.8 billion over the next two decades. Laitner says shifting from coal power to wind could also lower the nation's health care costs.
The announcement follows the dedication this week of a new wind farm near Broken Bow.
