NORFOLK, Neb. - Three years ago Nebraska’s largest solar farm opened in Norfolk, today we are back to see how things have been going.

Since Nebraska Public Power District and The City of Norfolk cut the ribbon back in April of 2022, this facility has has been sold out of shares completely

“For every share owned, the customer saves a touch more than $3 per share,” Brittney Koenig, retail account manager for NPPD said.

Being the states largest solar farm at 8.5 megawatts, it puts out more than 15% of the cities regular power.

The solar panels are built on the well head for the city of Norfolk but that is nothing to worry about according to the city’s water sewer director Chad Roberts.

“We went through a lot of hoops and ladders to make sure this wasn’t going to have any kind of negative drawback to the drinking water supply and stuff, so it took some years, that’s one reason why it took a little bit for this to get established,” Roberts said.

The grounds are covered in pollinator habitats, helping to increase the bee and butterfly population in Norfolk.

And while bees aren’t working in the winter, the solar panels still are.

“One thing about the panels, they do move with the sun but they are also bifacial,” Koenig said. “So the one thing about that is even in the winter time, you might think, oh geez, solar doesn’t produce as much in the winter. But actually when there’s snow on the ground, it reflects up and gets the back of the panel as well.”

This plant doesn’t only serve Norfolk, it goes into a greater power pool along with NPPD’s eight other farms across Nebraska.

Summer or winter, these panels still get the energy to provide for the city of Norfolk and the surrounding areas.