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Existing Kansas Wind Farms

(Projects are listed in order of commercial operation)

Existing Kansas Wind Farms
Name County Size (MW) Turbine type Turbine Model Year
Gray County Gray 112 Vestas V47 2001
Elk River Butler 150 GE 1.5 2005
Spearville Ford 100 GE 1.5 2006
Smoky Hills, Phase I Lincoln/ Ellsworth 100.8 Vestas V80 Feb. 2008
Smoky Hills, Phase II Lincoln 150 GE 1.5sle Dec. 2008
Meridian Way Cloud 204 Vestas V90 2008
Flat Ridge Barber 100 Clipper Liberty 2009
Central Plains Wichita 99 Vestas V90 2009
Total  

1,016

      

newMap  Interactive Map of Existing and Proposed wind projects in Kansas (PDF-548 kb), Source: Kansas Energy Information Network, October 2009.

updatedMap of Existing and Proposed wind projects in Kansas (PDF-548 kb), Source: Kansas Energy Information Network, October 2009.

new  Kansas Commercial Wind Projects Info (PDF),
Source: Kansas Wind Working Group, January 2009.

Kansas Wind Mapper - Kansas Biological Survey

newSmall Wind Projects in Kansas - Information on smaller (<1 MW) wind projects in Kansas. This is a work in progress.

Westar Wind Farm

Pottawatomie County, Kansas - This project was Kansas' first commercial-scale wind turbines. In 1999, Westar (then Western Resources) erected two 600 KW turbines in the shadow of the Jeffrey Energy Center coal plant. These turbines have recently been dismantled.  One of the two turbines has been donated to Cloud County Community College where it will be inoperational, but used for training technicians.  (October 2009)

Gray County Wind Farm

Gray County, Kansas - Kansas' first large-scale wind farm was erected near the town of Montezuma by FPL Energy (now NextEra Energy Resources) in 2001. It produces 112 MW of electricity from 170 Vestas V-47 wind turbines.

Elk River Wind Project

Butler County, Kansas - Kansas' largest wind farm. This 150 MW wind farm came on-line in December 2005.  A project of Elk River Wind Farm LLC of Larkspur, CA. HMH Energy Resources of Larkspur, Calif. and Greenlight Energy, Inc. of Charlottesville, Virginia  co-developed the project and sold it to PPM Energy, Inc. (Now Iberdrola Renewables) of Portland, OR.  The 100 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines are located several miles South of Beaumont.

On Dec. 13, 2004, it was announced that Empire District Electric utility of Joplin, MO, had contracted with PPM Energy, Inc. to buy 150 MW of electricity from Elk River.

Originally, the Butler County Planning Commission approved the project 5-2 at their Jan. 7, 2003 meeting. The Butler County Commission approved the project, 3-2, at their Jan. 28 meeting. On Nov. 24, 2003, a judge ordered a new vote on the project after throwing out the County Commission's previous decision. On Dec. 16, 2003 the Commission took another vote and approved the project 3-2. (May 2006)

Spearville Wind Project

Ford County, Kansas - A project of enXco that is 100.5 MW in size, located north of Hwy 50/56 near Spearville. The Ford Co. Zoning Board approved the project 5-0 on August 25, 2003. The Ford County Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit and development plan for the project on September 15, 2003. It was announced on December 13, 2005, that enXco would develop and construct the project and utility Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) would own it. The project consists of 67 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines with construction beginning  in April 2006 and finished in August 2006 with the formal dedication in October 2006. (Aug. 31, 2006)

KCPL is planning to add a 100-MW expansion at Spearville by the end of 2010, pending regulatory approval, and have already received some/all of the turbine parts.  See the Aug. 21, 2009 article below for more. (October 2009)

Smoky Hills Wind Farm

Ellsworth/Lincoln Counties, Kansas - A project of Lenexa-based TradeWind Energy and Enel North America is located on the Ellsworth-Lincoln County line. The project involves more than 12,000 acres and could be expanded up to 20,000 acres. Phase I of this project went on-line in January 2008 using 56 Vestas V80 turbines (1.8 MW). Phase II went on-line later at the end of 2008 (commercially on-line in early 2009) with 99 GE 1.5 MW turbines. Total project size is around 250 MW.

Buyers of the power from the project include Sunflower Electric of Hays, Midwest Energy (Hays) and Kansas City Board of Public Utilities. Roughly one-third of the turbines went off-line in Dec. 2008 after a transformer failed.  Upon replacement of the failed transformer in May 2009, the entire wind farm was back on-line. (July 2009)

Meridian Way Wind Farm

Cloud County, Kansas - A project of Horizon Wind Energy of Houston, Texas. Phase I and Phase II of the project went on-line in 2008.  Both phases of the project involve Vestas V90 3.0 MW turbines.  Phase I involves 35 turbines and 105 MW, which is sold to Empire District Electric Co. of Joplin, Missouri and Phase II involves 32 turbines and 96 MW of power sold to Westar Energy of Topeka. (March 2009)

Flat Ridge Wind Farm

Barber County, Kansas - A 100 MW wind project with possible expansion to 250 MW.  This project was developed by BP Wind Power and the first 100 MW has been contracted to Westar Energy with both BP and Westar each owning 50% of the project. Construction began in 2008 and commercial operation began in March 2009.  The wind farm consists of 40 Clipper 2.5 MW turbines.  There were some problems with the blades that required repair three months after commercial operation.  (October 2009)

Central Plains Wind Farm

Wichita County, Kansas - This project was originally proposed as the Sunflower Wind project in 2002-3 for 60-75 wind turbines by wind developer RES Americas and Sunflower Electric Power Corp. utility. In July 2006, it was announced that the project was shelved. In 2007, it was announced that this project was to be built and sold to Westar Energy with construction slated for 2008 and operation for early 2009.  The project is 99 MW in size and uses 33 Vestas V90 (3.0 MW) turbines. (March 2009)

Proposed Kansas Wind Projects

(Projects are listed alphabetically by county)

Deer Creek Wind Project

Anderson County, Kansas - A 200 MW proposed project of TradeWind Energy of Lenexa, KS. This project is located in Southeastern Anderson County.  (July 2009)

Barton County Wind Projects

Barton County, Kansas - Two projects are proposed in Barton County, one for 150 MW and the other for 199.5 MW - both with a proposed on-line date of September 2011. Both projects are in the SPP interconnection queue. No other details are currently known. (March 2009)

Leon Wind Project

Butler County, Kansas - A proposed joint project of Kansas Wind Power LLC (now TradeWind Energy), a Kansas-based company with offices in Lawrence and Overland Park, and Padoma Wind Power of La Jolla, CA. The plan was for 68 wind turbines to be located 3.5 miles south of Leon, 30 miles east of Wichita. Butler County Planning Commission approved the project 6-0. The County Commission denied permission for this project, 4-1. A lawsuit was filed to challenge this decision, though by 2005, it appears this project is dead. (2006)

Rosalia Wind Project

Butler County, Kansas - A proposed 73 turbine project of Zilkha Renewable Energy (now Horizon Wind Energy) to be located East of Rosalia, on either side of US-54. The project proposal  was withdrawn and is currently on hold and probably dead. (2006)

Chase County Wind Project

Chase County, Kansas - A project of FPL Energy of Juno Beach, FL. Few details of the project were reported, though the project was originally planned to be built in Southern Chase County as early as Fall 2004.  This project is located in Gov. Sebelius' "Heart of the Flint Hills" area, and is presumably dead until a new administration is in office. See the September 2 newspaper article in the Chase County Leader-News (PDF - 1.7 MB) for more. The Oct. 4, 2004 Wichita Eagle reported that FPL has shelved the plans for this project for now. (2005)

Cheyenne County Wind Project

Cheyenne County, Kansas - A project of Sunflower Wind LLC, which is proposing a 50 MW wind farm with 4-megawatt hydrogen generation plant and a 5- to 25-MW methane-powered generator to provide power when the wind isn't blowing. Sunflower Wind also has projects near Oberlin and Sharon Springs, KS. (August 25, 2007)
It is not known by KEIN if this project is still viable. (Oct. 2009)

Clark County Wind Project

Clark County, Kansas - A 1,000 MW wind projects applied for interconnection with SPP in 2008. The request was later withdrawn. Originally, this project had a proposed on-line date of 2012.  The current status of this project and any other information is not available at this time. (Oct. 2009)

Waverly Wind Project

Coffey County, Kansas - Two 100 MW wind projects applied for interconnection with SPP in Fall 2008 and three 102 MW projects applied for interconnection in Fall 2009 located near the town of Waverly. Most likely these are all projects of Horizon Wind Energy, which has applied for permits for over 200 permits from FAA. This may be one big project or several multi-phase projects. (Jan. 2010)

Elk River II Wind Project

Cowley and Elk Counties, Kansas - Originally proposed by Greenlight Energy, Inc. of Charlottesville, Virginia, This is now a project of BP Alternative Energy, which bought out Greenlight. The project could have as many as 167 wind turbines generating up to 300 MW of electricity.  Two-thirds of the turbines are planned for Cowley County and will be located in the Northeast corner of the county. Both Cowley and Elk Counties are unzoned. This project entered the SPP interconnection queue in 2004 and has a fully executed Interconnection Agreement and is on Suspension. (Oct. 2009)

Decatur County wind project

Decatur County, Kansas - A project of Sunflower Wind was proposed 50 MW of wind power to the City of Oberlin on a Right of First Refusal basis in Aug. 2007. An additional 5 MW of hydrogen power and 5-25 MW of methane back-up generation was also proposed. Power was offered to the City of Oberlin at 9.1 cents per kwh over 20 years in a contract that was to replace the city's contract with Sunflower Electric (not related to Sunflower Wind). The city considered the offer, but ultimately rejected it by the end of Dec. 2007. No more is known by KEIN at this point about the current viability of this project.  (October 2009)

Caney River Wind Project

Elk County, Kansas - A project of TradeWind Energy of Lenexa, KS, located 10 miles west of Howard. The project will interconnect with a 345 kV transmission line in Elk County and will produce around 150 MW of power. (March 2009)

Hays Wind Project

Ellis County, Kansas - Originally, a proposed 100-200 MW project of Distributed Generation Systems, Inc. (DISGEN) of Evergreen, Colorado, which was bought out by CPV Wind, which was bought out by Iberdrola Renewable Energies USA of Spain. This project has run into some controversy in Ellis County (see news below), but the project appears to still be viable. (October 2009)

NE Ellis County Wind Project

Ellis County, Kansas - A project of TradeWind Energy. This project is early in the process and going through zoning to install Met Towers. Plans are for at least 150 MW.
(January 2009)

Western Trail Wind project

Ford and Kiowa Counties, Kansas - A 400 MW project of Horizon Wind Energy located south of Bucklin.  Phase I of the project has already received a Conditional Use Permit from Ford County, though no timeline has been set for construction. This project will be located in Ford and Kiowa Counties. (October 2009)

Ironwood Wind project

Ford & Hodgeman Counties, Kansas - Infinity Wind Energy of Santa Barbara, California has a project of up to 500 MW planned in Ford County Southeast of Spearville. Westar Energy has agreed to buy up to 500 MW. Up to 200 MW are planned to be on-line by late 2011 or 2012. (January 2010)

newFord County wind projects

Ford County, Kansas - Multiple Ford County wind projects entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue for feasibility studies in late 2009. At least four projects sized at 102 MW with on-line dates of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 were proposed. A separate 100 MW project with an on-line date of Dec. 2011 was also proposed. These projects may be different phases of the Ironwood project. No further information is known at this time. (January 2010)

Geary County Wind Ranch

Geary County, Kansas - This 150 MW project of Distributed Generation Systems, Inc. (DISGEN) of Evergreen, Colorado was first proposed in 2005.  This project is in the "Heart of the Flint Hills" area, as designated by Topeka politicos.  The current viability of this project is not known, nor is it known who, if anybody, is still in charge of project development (see Ellis County Wind project for info on developer situation). (March 2009)

newGraham County Wind Project

Graham County, Kansas - A 100 MW project is being studied in Graham County. This project entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue for a feasibility study in December 2009 with a proposed on-line date of January 2011. No further information is known at this time. (January 2010)

newCimarron Wind project

Gray County, Kansas - CPV Renewable Energy agreed to a 20 year power purchase agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority for 165 MW from the Cimarron Wind project. The wind farm is expected to produce power in 2011. (January 2010)

Bear Creek Wind Project

Hamilton County, Kansas - A 135 MW project is being studied in Hamilton County by Acciona Energy. This project entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue for a feasibility study in March 2007 and has an expected on-line date of November 2008. The Interconnection Agreement for this project is fully executable and the project is considered on schedule according to the SPP queue. Also, the Hamilton County Commissioners have approved this project. (October 2009)

newHaskell County Wind Project

Haskell County, Kansas - A 100.5 MW project of TradeWind Energy of Lenexa, KS is being studied in Haskell County. This project entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue for a feasibility study in December 2009 with a proposed on-line date of October 2012. This project may be substantially bigger than what is currently being studied. (January 2010)

Greensburg Wind Project

Kiowa County, Kansas - A 12.5 MW project of John Deere Renewables, the City of Greensburg, and the Kansas Power Pool. This project was announced in April 2009. It appears ground breaking will take place in the fall 2009 with commercial operation in 2010. (September 2009)

Shooting Star Wind Project

Kiowa County, Kansas - A 105 MW project of Clipper Windpower Inc. of Carpinteria, CA. The project was first proposed as early as 2002, South of Mullinville with plans to use 42 of the 2.5 MW Clipper Windpower C-93 wind turbines. It apparently made the short list for Westar's Spring 2007 RFP. (August 2007)

Lyon County Wind Project

Lyon County, Kansas - RES Americas proposes a project in east Lyon County, south and west of Reading, that will encompass up to 25,000 acres and produce as much as 250 MW of power. (March 2009)

newMarshall County Wind Projects

Marshall County, Kansas - A 91 MW project has applied for interconnection in Marshall County in 2009 with a proposed on-line date of December 2012.

At least three wind developers have shown interest in Marshall County and RPMA Great Plains Wind Development has installed a Met Tower near Summerfield. KEIN is not sure who's project is in the SPP queue at this time. (September 2009)

Eagle Rock Wind Farm

McPherson County, Kansas - A proposed project of Gamesa Energía Southwest, an Austin, Texas based subsidiary of the Spanish Company Gamesa Energía. The project is planned for the Northeastern part of the county and could be between 100-150 MW. McPherson County passed wind turbine siting guidelines in Nov. 2005, which are available here. These guidelines were later revised. This project met more than a little controversy in 2005-2006 and it's current viability is not currently known. (March 2009)

Munkers Creek Windfarm

Morris Counties, Kansas - A 100-200 MW project proposed by JW Prairie Wind Power LLC near Alta Vista. The Wabaunsee County Commission issued a decision on June 28, 2004 that effectively will not allow the construction of wind farms in the county.  This project also falls in the "Heart of the Flint Hills" (PDF, 1.7 MB)  area, where Governor Kathleen Sebelius' has discouraged wind farm development.  Project awaits a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). (June 2006)

Nemaha County Wind Project

Nemaha County, Kansas - A 129 MW project of JW Prairie Wind Power LLC in Nemaha County. This project entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue for a feasibility study in March 2007. Plans are to use 86 GE 1.5 MW turbines. (July 2009)

Ness County Wind Project

Ness County, Kansas - A 199.5 MW project is being studied in Ness County. This project entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue for a feasibility study in March 2009 with a proposed on-line date of September 2009. No further information is known at this time. (March 2009)

Pioneer Wind Project

Pawnee County, Kansas - A 76 MW project is being studied in Pawnee County by Pacific Winds Energy. No further information is known at this time. (Nov. 2008)

Revolution Wind Project

Pawnee County, Kansas - A 105 MW project is being studied in Pawnee County by Pacific Winds Energy. This project entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue for a feasibility study in 2008. No further information is known at this time. (Nov. 2008)

Pratt County Wind Project

Pratt County, Kansas - A 150 MW wind project is being studied in Pratt County. This is probably a project of Indeck Energy, which is planning to develop a wind energy farm in Pratt County but will likely move the location after running into some airspace issues with the Pratt Airport Authority. (Jan. 2009)



Rawlins County Wind Project

Rawlins County, Kansas - A 300 MW project is being studied in Rawlins County. The developer for this project is Danken Energy of Pensacola, Florida. This project entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue for a feasibility study in March 2007 and had a proposed on-line date of Oct. 2010.  The interconnection request was later withdrawn. No further information is known at this time.

Rush County Wind Project

Rush County, Kansas - Three wind projects have been proposed in Rush County. A 19.5 MW project and 49.5 MW project both requested feasibility studies for interconnection with the  Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue in April 2009. The request for the smaller project was later withdrawn. Later in 2009, three separate 102 MW project requested feasibility studies. No further information is known at this time. (December 2009)

British Pastures Wind Project

Riley County, Kansas - A proposed project of Orion Energy of Oakland, CA. Many of Orion Energy's project's were sold to BP Energy, though the status of this one is unknown by KEIN.  The project is planned in SE Riley County and was subjected to a moratorium on wind farm applications in Riley County through Oct. 7, 2004. Having weathered that, perhaps, it has failed to gain any traction since the Governor's "Heart of the Flint Hills" ruling, which includes this project by 5-10 miles.

Rooks County Wind Projects

Rooks County, Kansas - A 50 MW project has applied for interconnection in Rooks County in 2009 with a proposed on-line date of July 2011. This appears to be a project of ICG Aeolian Energy, which has currently installed three meteorological towers southwest of Stockton. (March 2009)

Scott County Wind Projects

Scott County, Kansas - Four projects have been proposed for Scott County, all applying for interconnection with the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) in 2008. The largest project is for 300 MW, two are for 161 MW and the fourth for 179 MW.

No further information is known at this time. (Oct. 2009)

Seward County Wind Projects

Seward County, Kansas - An 800 MW project has applied for interconnection in Seward County in late 2008. No further information is known at this time. (Jan. 2009)

Sherman County Community Wind Project

Sherman County, Kansas - ReNewable Energy Resources, a wind energy development company out of Tennessee, announced in Feb. 2005, that they would build a 10-turbine, 6 MW wind project 10 miles southwest of Goodland using NEPC India wind turbines. Originally, this project was scheduled to break ground in Summer 2005 and be completed by November with the City of Goodland purchasing some of the power and a group of irrigators purchasing the rest. However, due to delays the size of the project was downgraded to 4 turbines generating 3 MW for the city of Goodland by Summer 2006 using wind turbines from Denmark. Seeing that 2006 is but a memory and this project is still not built, it's not known what the prospects are for this project and whether those Danish turbines are still sitting on a dock in Texas. (March 2009)

Sherman County Wind Project

Sherman County, Kansas - An 81 MW wind farm is being proposed for Sherman County, southwest of the city of Goodland.  Competitive Power Ventures of Lakewood, Colorado is proposing the project, which competed unsuccessfully for the Sunflower Electric RFP, that was issued in August 2006.  Many of CPV's projects were bought out by Iberdrola in 2007(see Ellis County Wind), so this may be an Iberdrola project now.

Originally proposed for an on-line date of Aug. 2008, this project has a fully executed Interconnection Agreement and is on Suspension. (Oct. 2009)

Smith County Wind Project

Smith County, Kansas - A 300 MW project applied for interconnection with the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) in mid-2008 for Smith County, with an on-line date of November 2011. This request was later withdrawn. No other information is known about the project at this time. (October 2009)

Conestoga Winds

Stevens County, Kansas - A project of HMH Energy Resources of Larkspur, CA that was first proposed as early as 2005. The project has been proposed for up to 200 MW. Of this, 50 MW were recently proposed to Springfield City Utilities in an October 2005 RFP. Not much else is known at this time.

Sumner County Wind Project

Sumner County, Kansas - In May 2007, a State Representative from Wellington (D- Wetta) noted that "Westar Energy is considering building a wind farm along the eastern edge of Sumner County to supply power lines in Lincoln County." This project may be as large as 200 MW.  A similar sized project entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue in 2008. In August 2009, a 60 meter meteorological tower was put up with two more planned.  This wind farm plans to have 85 to 110 wind turbines over 10,500 acres.  It is possible that the project in the SPP queue is different than the one that just installed the met towers. (August 2009)

Solomon Forks wind project

Thomas County, Kansas - A wind farm originally proposed by Air Stream Energy of Scottsdale, Arizona and currently involving Acciona Energy as well. This project was originally planned to be 130 MW, but is now listed as 108 MW and is located between the towns of Colby and Mingo in Thomas County. This project was proposed to Westar Energy Request for Proposals in April 2007. The fact sheet (see below) says construction will begin in early 2009. No word of whether this is on schedule or not. (October 2009)

newWichita County Wind

Wichita County, Kansas - The Wind Capital Group has received an FAA permit to install a met tower in Wichita County, near Leoti.
Nothing more is known at this time. (January 2010)

Municipalities Wind Project

Several Towns - A project proposed by Kansas Wind Power LLC (now TradeWind Energy), where ten or more municipalities would have a relatively small number of wind turbines (10-20), rather than one huge wind farm.  By "spreading the wealth", multiple small projects can achieve the same scale of economy as a larger project, but without the limitations of transmission constraints.  Cities and towns that were approached (as reported in local newspapers) include Anthony, Augusta,  Coffeyville, Greensburg, Herington, Hoisington, Larned, La Crosse, Lincoln,  Russell, and Winfield. Not much has been said about these projects in several years and they may be shelved.  (March 2009)

Elk City Wind Project

Elk City, Wilson County, Kansas - A 200 MW wind project is proposed near Elk City. It's not known at this time which county this project is in - could be Wilson, Chautauqua, or Elk. This project entered the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) queue for feasibility studies in April 2009. No more information is known at this time. (April 2009)

Other Regional Wind Projects

Other regional wind projects - Information on wind projects in  Missouri and Nebraska. (KEIN)

 		  

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