Over the past 14 months the state has received about $25,000 from companies considering putting up wind farms on the state-owned land that is set aside for funding education.

That's the beginning of a pot of money Sen. Ken Haar of Malcolm would like to use for improving teacher salaries across the state.

No one knows how big that pot could grow. "I'm hoping for a zillion dollars," Haar said in jest during debate.

But the fund likely would bring in more than the $25,000 the Board of Educational Lands and Funds has received from solar and wind contracts so far.

Those early agreements allow companies to do some preliminary testing, which may lead to a lease agreement, said Richard Endacott, executive secretary for the Board of Educational Lands and Funds.

The agency has 10 to 12 companies interested in "entering into leases with us," he said. "If they put turbines on our land, that will result in more money. We are hoping it will be much more," he said.

But Haar's bill merging wind and solar energy leases with performance pay for teachers was held hostage this week by a filibuster led by rural senators.

They want a cap on the amount of money that could go into this fund, a better definition of what performance pay for teachers will mean and assurance that only wind and solar lease income will go into the fund.

Haar and filibustering senators say there could be compromises on the measure (LB1014) so that the bill can move forward sometime next week. Senators are three and a half hours into the eight hours allowed for a filibuster.

The measure combines two of Haar's passions -- renewable energy and education. It would earmark all wind and solar lease payments on the land held by the Board of Educational Lands and Funds for performance-based teacher pay.

The money would be divided among all school districts, based on the number of children ages 5 through 18 in that district, and it could be used for performance-based pay as determined by the local union contracts with teachers beginning in 2016.

However, the measure strays from tradition -- where all money from educational land leases goes to school districts on a per-student basis with no earmarks, said opponents, calling it a slippery slope and the camel's nose under the tent.

The filibuster included some history lessons about the land set aside for education and anger over the board's perceived refusal to sell the parcels of land.

The Board of Educational Lands and Funds oversees and leases land held in trust for education, most of it in the western part of the state. Most of the educational land in the eastern Nebraska has been sold and the money invested by the state's Investment Council.

Interest from investments and money from leases are returned to school districts each year.

Reach Nancy Hicks at 473-7250 or nhicks@journalstar.com.