Lincoln Electric System’s two wind turbines in northeast Lincoln were removed Tuesday morning after nearly 25 years of operation. LES says a controlled explosion brought the first turbine down around 10:00 a.m.
Fifteen minutes later the second turbine fell due to to a separate controlled explosion. The fist turbine sat on the proposed Nebraska Department of Correctional Services site, nearly a half-mile north of I-80 on N. 70th St. The second was located closer to the Lincoln City Landfill and was reaching its full maturity this year.
Both turbines were decommissioned simultaneously to save on overall costs. In an effort to protect the public, LES did not publicly release the date and time of the removal. “We didn’t want to draw the public to the area when explosive materials were being used. The safety of our employees and our community is always our top priority,” says Scott Benson, LES manager of Resource & Transmission Planning. “Emergency personnel and community partners were notified of the felling before it happened. Everything went safely and as planned.”
Many components of the turbines, including the blades and clean metals, are being recycled. Only minimal materials that aren’t suited for recycling will be disposed of in an environmentally compliant landfill facility. The turbine sites will be cleaned throughout July.
The wind turbines were the oldest operating wind generators in Nebraska.