Nebraska Rural Poll: Rural residents favor home, community solar over large-scale projects

LINCOLN, Neb — Rural Nebraskans are more likely to support renewable energy when it is produced close to home and owned locally, according to the 2025 Nebraska Rural Poll, which found stronger overall support for solar than wind.

The poll found 56% of rural Nebraskans surveyed support home-based systems for solar energy production, such as solar panels installed on private property and owned by the landowner. Another 51% support community-based solar production, which often works as cooperative models. In both cases, excess energy can often be sold to local power companies.

Support for home- or community-based wind production was more divided, with about equal preference for or against.

When it comes to large-scale operations, most respondents strongly or somewhat oppose large-scale energy production through wind (59%) and solar (52%). Those operations are generally private companies that install wind turbines or solar panels on land leased from local landowners and supply electricity to an entire region.

“Rural Nebraskans’ preferences show a clear desire to keep energy production local,” said Heather Akin, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication. “People are open to renewable energy, especially when it’s owned and operated close to home, where the benefits stay in the community. The hesitancy toward large-scale projects suggests that rural residents want to be sure those projects really serve local interests.”

The poll also found regional differences in support for various energy production scenarios. Respondents in the north-central region tended to be least supportive of any of the scenarios, while those in the Panhandle were most likely to support each of the farm- or community-based systems.

On the perceived impacts of wind turbines, 53% of respondents said they believe turbines can create visual or aesthetic problems. The poll found 48% believe wind turbines harm birds and bats, and 46% believe they create noise pollution. At the same time, 45% agreed wind turbines have positive impacts on job creation and economic benefits for local communities.

Opinions were more uncertain on whether wind turbines can help keep land in agriculture. The poll found 42% of respondents were uncertain about that statement, while 33% disagreed and 24% agreed.

“We see varying opinions about the impacts of wind turbines, which is likely contributing to the lower support for those energy production systems,” said Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, a Rural Prosperity Nebraska extension specialist based in the Panhandle. “Other than a general agreement that they’re aesthetically displeasing, these mixed opinions from region to region suggest that if wind energy is going to become more prevalent across the entire state, communities will need to start having open conversations about local priorities, land use and economic impact.”

The poll found relatively few rural Nebraskans have direct experience with wind or solar energy production. Thirteen percent said they can see wind turbines from their home or land they own or farm. Five percent said they own or lease solar panels. Three percent said they can hear wind turbines from their home or land they own or farm.

When asked what would matter most if they were considering small wind turbines on their own land to power a home, farm or ranch, respondents most often rated practical factors as very important. Those included reliability of turbines and/or panels (80%); availability of a trusted installation and maintenance company (77%); financial support to offset installation cost (72%); provided power during main grid outages (70%); amount of energy savings or income that turbines and/or panels would provide (63%); and whether turbines or panels fit in the local landscape (60%).

Thirty-three percent of respondents said showing a commitment to sustainability was very important.

“For most rural Nebraskans, renewable energy is still more of an idea than a personal experience,” said Becky Vogt, manager of the Rural Poll. “People are more interested in the practical benefits — reliability, cost savings, trusted service — than in symbolic or environmental reasons alone. As more residents see these technologies in action, confidence in their value within rural communities may continue to grow. That’s to be seen.”