Otoe County commissioners Tuesday adopted a letter of support for a proposal to construct up to 54 wind turbines on high ground near Douglas.

Chicago-based Midwest Wind Energy presented the basics of a $160 million project it plans to propose to the Omaha Public Power District. It would add 80 megawatts of wind-generated electricity to the state’s total production.

Nebraska wind generators currently produce 73 megawatts, but production will more than double with another 80 megawatt wind farm that is under construction in Knox County for Nebraska Public Power District.

Mike Jones, a spokesman for OPPD, said the public utility has asked for proposals to build an 80 megawatt wind farm, but has not committed to building anywhere.

He said OPPD currently operates a wind turbine near Valley and purchases some generating capacity from NPPD.

“It is our intention, obviously, to increase the amount of wind generation in our portfolio,” Jones said.

If the wind turbines are built in Otoe County, the county would be tied for the highest wind production in the state. The wind farm would generate enough power for an estimated 24,000 homes.

Patrick Dalseth, project coordinator for Midwest Wind Energy, said the Douglas location is appealing because of its topography and its proximity to OPPD’s high voltage transmission line.

Further study will establish project details for the Burr Ridge Wind Farm, but Dalseth said between 34 and 54 generators, including 250-foot-tall towers, could be constructed on high ridges covering 6,000 acres from K Road north of Douglas to Q Road nine miles south of Unadilla.

Pat Haverty of the River Country Economic Development Corporation encouraged commissioners to support the project. Construction is expected to result in $24 million in local sales for concrete, steel and electric cable, as well as eight new jobs.

Although Nebraska is a public power state, the wind turbines will be privately owned and will pay personal property tax to Otoe County in the amount of about $6.4 million.

Dalseth presented commissioners a map of the state’s wind resources, pointing out a few locations east of Norfolk and Beatrice where a purple color indicates the highest wind resource. Most of the state, and all of Otoe County, is colored in yellow.

“Yellow represents a good wind resource. If we had yellow in Illinois like you do in Nebraska, we may never have left Illinois,” he said.

Midwest Energy is the first private company to build wind generators in Nebraska, which is rated sixth nationally for wind potential and 20th for actual wind generation.

Dave Schmitz, Otoe County surveyor and zoning administrator, said the Otoe County Planning Commission is considering writing new regulations to the zoning ordinances to include wind towers.

Dalseth said six to eight employees at the wind farm will be skilled electricians and electronic technicians who have the physical capability of climbing a 286-foot tower to work. He said the employees would earn between $80,000 to $100,000 per year.