VALENTINE, Neb. - A key document that will help guide Cherry County’s future development, land use, and growth is nearing completion. On Tuesday morning, county commissioners spent several hours reviewing the proposed new Cherry County Comprehensive Plan — a project that’s been in the works for years.

Many of the updates focused on correcting outdated or inaccurate information, but one section in particular — Communications, Utilities and Energy — had drawn attention in a previous meeting for lacking an introduction, policies, and goals consistent with the other chapters.

The discussion comes as Valentine remains one of 16 Nebraska communities the Nebraska Public Power District is considering for a new state-of-the-art nuclear power reactor.

Commissioner Nina Nelson said the chapter needed to be consistent with the rest of the plan, and the other two commissioners agreed.

The consultant returned with the following proposed goal:

“Power utility infrastructure is sufficient to meet the current and future needs of residents and employers.”

However, commissioners opted to remove the word future.

“We don’t know what the future needs are,” Commissioner Mike McConaughey said.
“I agree. The word ‘current’ might be better because we don’t have a crystal ball,” Commissioner Martin DeNaeyer added. Nelson agreed with both.

The updated section also includes several new policies and strategies:

  1. Continue to plan for long-term access to public power generation capacity.
  2. Continue to plan for and ensure electrical facilities are properly located to meet Cherry County’s residential, commercial, and industrial growth.
  3. Continue to provide for individual property owners to utilize small-scale, distributed renewable energy generation.
  4. Periodically review zoning regulations for conformance with technological advances in renewable energy generation.
  5. Promote consumer energy conservation measures in partnership with utility providers.

Commissioners have not yet voted on the comprehensive plan.