NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) — Mastering the inner-workings of a nacelle, which houses the gearbox, brakes and generator that makes a wind turbine a wind turbine, will come in time and practice.

First, students in Northeast Community College's wind energy program must master gravity.

Dressed in hard hats and harnesses, the dozen or so future wind turbine technicians practice rappelling off the side of a decommissioned nacelle donated to the college program from NextEra Energy.

Unlike the 71 turbines of the Sholes Wind Farm about 30 miles north of the Norfolk campus, Northeast's newest wind energy lab pu...