Renewable energy advocate running to represent Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District

A Lincoln man who works in the renewable energy industry is stepping into the race to represent Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Eric Moyer, a registered Democrat, is set to formally announce his run next week during a Lincoln campaign event.

The Nebraskan, who grew up in the northeastern town of Madison, said a prominent issue he would like Congress to focus on is energy security. He said Nebraska is in a position to better harness natural resources such as sunlight, wind and water.

“I want to support legislation that allows for domestic energy production to come back, and reverse the cuts that were made in the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that are going to damage wind and solar industry, as well as a renewed focus on nuclear,” Moyer said.

The 1st Congressional District covers 12 counties in Nebraska, including the cities of Lincoln and Norfolk. Moyer seeks to capture the congressional seat from current representative Republican Mike Flood, who’s represented the district since 2022.

Flood has received national attention this week following his Monday town hall in Lincoln where hundreds of attendees aired their frustrations over his continued support of President Donald Trump. The congressman has voted in lockstep with the majority of Republican representatives on major legislation including the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ budget package and the budget reconciliation bill.

“The economy right now is not working for everybody in the state of Nebraska, and when we look at legislation like the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ we got tax cuts for folks at the top of the food chain,” Moyer said. “It doesn’t trickle down. That’s a fallacy that’s been pushed since the 1980s, and we got to get away from it.”

Moyer has spent several years working in Nelnet’s renewable energy department as a strategic development manager and regional operations manager. Prior to his roles at Nelnet, he served as the director of sales and marketing at a solar energy company in Lincoln. Over the last eight years in both roles, Moyer advocated for renewable energy funding and solutions. In 2023, he testified in support of a bill in the Nebraska Legislature that would have set aside federal money that was allocated to Nebraska for renewable energy products.

He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a masters degree in marketing, communications and advertising. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fine & performing arts. He said his background in acting provided him opportunities with theater productions at the Lied Center for Performing Arts and the Angels Theatre Company.