News Release
August 25, 2008
What's New in Kansas Energy
Kansas Wind & Renewable Energy Conference '08
With over 1,000 megawatts (MW) of wind generation capacity expected to be online by the end of 2008, Kansas will more then meet Governor Sebelius' goal to produce 10 percent of the state's electricity from wind power by 2010, working toward her goal of 20 percent by 2020. Having renewable energy as a significant part of its electric generation portfolio, Kansas will join an elite group of states.
To learn more about wind and other forms of renewable energy, climate change, energy efficiency, and energy policy, plan on attending the Kansas Wind & Renewable Energy Conference '08 to be held September 23 & 24 at the Ramada Inn in Topeka.
Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson will moderate a roundtable discussion on climate change featuring two prominent Kansas professors. Dr. Johannes Feddema from the University of Kansas and Dr. Ed Rice from Kansas State University both serve on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Dr. James Hansen, from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, will keynote the 9th annual conference.
The latest information on a variety of renewable energy and energy efficiency topics including wind, solar, biofuels, utility efficiency programs, wind leasing and easements, and efficient building programs will be presented and discussed in breakout sessions.
The U.S. Department of Energy has recently stated it is feasible to have wind power supplying 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030. With the completion of an additional 650 MW of new wind generation by the end of 2008, wind capacity will be about 10 percent of Kansas' nameplate capacity electricity needs. The four wind farms currently under construction are as follow.
Smoky Hills Wind Farm (Lincoln and Ellsworth Counties) - Phase I of the Smoky Hills Wind Farm went online earlier this year. It has 101 MW of generation capacity and was developed by Lenexa-based developer, TradeWind Energy. Purchasers of the power include Sunflower Electric, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, and Midwest Energy.
Phase II, an additional 150 MW of generation capacity is currently under construction and expected to be online by the end of the year. When completed, the Smoky Hills project will be the largest commercial wind farm in the state.
Meridian Way Wind Farm (Cloud County) – Horizon Wind Energy is constructing a 201 MW wind farm southeast of Concordia. Power from the wind farm will be shared by Westar Energy and Empire District Electric. It will feature the new 3 MW Vestas V-90 turbines, one of the largest capacity turbines currently used on land-based wind farms.
Central Plains Wind Farm (Wichita County) – Near Leoti in western Kansas, the 99 MW Central Plains Wind Farm was developed by RES Americas for Westar.
Flat Ridge Wind Farm (Barber County) – Developed by BP Alternative Energy, the 100 MW Flat Ridge Wind Farm will provide power to Westar Energy customers. It will be the first Kansas wind farm to feature the 2.5 MW Clipper turbines, manufactured in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
These new wind farms join the three existing wind farms that have a combined capacity of 362 MW: Gray County Wind Farm (2001), Elk River Wind Farm (2005), and Spearville Wind Energy Facility (2006).
For more information or to register for The Kansas Wind & Renewable Energy Conference '08, please go to the KCC website at http://kcc.ks.gov/energy/kwrec_08/. If you prefer to just browse our website for information on what is happening at the KCC or information on various energy topics, go to the KCC home page at http://kcc.ks.gov.