WATCH: Nebraska’s two oldest wind turbines removed with controlled explosions

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The demolition of Nebraska’s two oldest wind turbines took place Tuesday in north Lincoln.

The Lincoln Electric System said the first turbine collapsed due to a controlled explosion at its base around 10 a.m.

About 15 minutes later, another controlled explosion brought down the second turbine.  LES shared a video of the demolition on Facebook.

Officials did not release the date and time of the demolition for public safety reasons.  Weather also impacted the timing of the demolition.

“We didn’t want to draw the public to the area when explosive materials were being used,” said Scott Benson, LES manager of resource and transmission planning, in a press release. “The safety of our employees and our community is always our top priority. Emergency personnel and community partners were notified of the felling before it happened. Everything went safely and as planned.”

The turbines’ blades and clean metals are being recycled. Materials that can’t be recycled will be disposed of in an “environmentally compliant landfill,” LES said.

Both turbines were constructed in the late 1990s and served as LES’s first investment in wind energy.

Wind turbine No. 1 sat on the proposed site of the new prison in Lincoln, nearly a half-mile north of Interstate 80 on 70th Street.

The turbine was already out of service due to mechanical problems.

Wind Turbine No. 2, closer to the Lincoln City Landfill, had an initial life expectancy of 25 years.