W

the
ind
factor
A GateHouse Kansas project

May 2017
2 / May 2017 The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project
A GateHouse
Kansas Project

A GateHouse
Kansas Project

Project editor:
Ron Sylvester
Art director:
Wendy Skellenger
Digital producer:
Andrew Duscher

CONTRIBUTORS:

Roger Bluhm

Scott Aust, Brett Riggs

THE POWER
of Kansas
Pat Lowry, Jon Howard

wind
John Green, Amy Bickel,
Jim Heck, Sandra Milburn,
Travis Morisse, Greg Wood,
Jesse Brothers,
Jesse Bribiesca,
Jessica Stucky, Jen Sterling

An aerial view of an opened wind turbine in a field April 11 outside of Spearville (Sandra J. Milburn/

W
Staff photographer). Cover image: Spearville wind farm (Travis Morisse/Staff photographer). ind energy in Kansas and the United
Josh Arnett, Teri Hansen

Resource’s alternate-energy use is solid,

States is reaching lofty heights.
During the first quarter of 2017, the

though several factors will affect boom industry installed more than 900 utility-scale
wind turbines across the country, together capa- Susan Welte, Doug Carder
By John Green ble of generating 2 gigawatts of new electricity.
Staff writer
That was the strongest first quarter for instal-
lations in eight years – and the second strongest Chance Hoener,
Pat Richardson
Serving Kansans Since 1884 first quarter ever, said John Hensley, deputy
director for industry data and analysis with the
American Wind Energy Association, or AWEA.
Checking & Savings • Commercial & Ag Loans More turbines were turned on in the first five Jennifer Stultz
Home & Auto Loans • Treasury Management
months of this year than in the first nine months
Locations in 22 Kansas and Nebraska Communities! of last year. The new development pushed total
Find a branch near you at www.centralnational.com
wind capacity in the U.S. above 84 GW.
Member FDIC Texas, the nation’s wind energy leader by far,
Equal Housing Lender
again topped new development with 724 mega- Erin Mathews,
We have solutions for all of your financial needs! Sharon Montague,
Insurance • Wealth Management & Trust Services
watts. Kansas, however, was second in new
Mary Landes,
Please Note that Investment and Insurance products: Are NOT FDIC Insured • Are NOT Guaranteed by the Bank • May lose value Kirstien Kroeger
See WIND / 4
The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project May 2017 / 3
4 / May 2017 The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project

Wind industry,” AWEA’s Hensley

said. “It was a good kickoff
for the year, with a lot of
• From Page 2 activity across the country.”
Besides bringing 2 giga-
watt online, the industry
development with 418 MW added 4,500 megawatts in
power within the multistate
Southwest Power Pool grid
that includes Kansas.
“We’ve seen tremendous
growth over those 15 years,
but in just the last two years
we’ve seen 2,000 MW added
there was up to $15 million
paid to landowners.”
Every agreement is
GW: WHAT’S
A GIGAWATT?
Fortune 100 companies who
want access to more renew-
able energy.”
different and individually
negotiated, and prices
vary by location, the size MADE IN THE U.S.
of turbines and how much A gigawatt, or 1 billion watts,

T
of additional wind in gear. either new construction or in the state,” Hensley noted. competition there is for is equal to the power he development of
The Wheat State now has projects in advanced devel- There are a lot of players leases. Generally, however, generated by: energy in Kansas
more than 2,740 turbines opment. in the state, Hensley said, the average is $3,000 to has been a bit like

spread across 31 wind farms
in 23 counties, according
to the Climate and Energy
Project. About two-thirds
are in western Kansas.
Industry experts say
Hensley said nearly 21
GW of wind power is in
some stage of development,
almost equal to the amount
of power already installed
in Texas.
with 17 different wind farm
developers and 15 different
companies or utilities draw-
ing on the power.
The four biggest devel-
opers, however, account
$6,000 per megawatt, said
Kimberly Svaty, Kansas
public policy director with
The Wind Coalition.
“It’s a cash crop that
helps keep some farms up
500
the wind itself: light some
years and near gale force in
others.
The push to build wind
utility scale wind turbines started in 2007 with a vol-
untary portfolio standard

4.6
the boom in wind is likely Direct employment in the for nearly 60 percent of and running,” Svaty said. initiated by Gov. Kathleen
to continue, although a industry has now surpassed ownership. “Equally as important, Sibelius, Barnett said.
number of issues could 102,000 jobs, including Westar Energy, by far, the wind industry is a ma- Then, in 2009, as part of an
affect how fast or high wind 25,000 in manufacturing. is the largest owner and jor engine of job growth,” agreement brokered by Gov.

development in Kansas can Projections, Hensley said,
or will go. are for another 8,000 jobs to
be added by 2020.
MILLIONS “Wind power continues
to be a bargain for consum-
OF HOMES, ers,” Hensley said. “It’s
keeping electricity costs
THOUSANDS
buyer of the wind power,
controlling more than one-
third of what’s produced, at
1,544 MW.
When Westar energized
its 133-turbine Western
Plains wind farm in Ford
million
Hensley said. “In 2016,
the Kansas wind industry
employed over 5,000 folks
helping develop projects,
both on the construction of
solar photovoltaic (PV)
projects and the men and
women who live in the com-
Mark Parkinson to move
expansion of the Holcomb
coal plant forward, a man-
datory Renewable Portfolio
Standard became law, noted
panels Barnett.
“Initially, they (Kansas

100
down and boosting the County in March, it became munities on a daily basis utilities) had to meet an
OF JOBS. industry.”
NextEra Energy
the third project owned by
the state’s largest utility,
and help operate and main-
tain the operations, and at
RPS of 10 percent by 2010,
15 percent by 2015 and 20

“T
he first quarter constructed the first which also has contracts manufacturing plants such percent by 2020,” Barnett
of 2017 was a utility-scale wind farm for power from eight others, as Siemens.” million LED bulbs said. “Obviously, they blew
very strong in Kansas for KCPL and according to the company. The average pay for a past that by 2015.”

three months for the wind
1.3
the Sunflower Electric Later this year, Westar wind turbine technician In 2010, German multina-
Cooperative. will add a 1 MW solar instal- – identified by the U.S. tional Siemens AG, which
Today the lation in South Hutchinson, Bureau of Labor last month already had a blade-man-
state has pushing renewable sources as the fastest growing pro- ufacturing plant in Iowa,

Farm & Ranch Equipment • Welding Supplies
Pipe & Steel • Dohickeys • Gadgets
Thingamajigs
Wegele36
• Narrow Turning
• Single Blade
• Maneuverability
• Low Maintenance
million
a total to a third of its portfolio. fession in the country – is opened its turbine nacelle
capacity of A portion of Kansas’ $54,000 a year. Technicians manufacturing plant in
more than wind-generated power is can then move into man- Hutchinson, employing
4,930 MW of leaving the state under agement or more senior more than 350 people and
power. power purchase agreements positions. horses (horsepower) helping drive down the cost
Last year, with at least three out-of- “It’s really an exciting of installing wind in the
wind pro- state utilities, including the dynamic,” Hensley said. Source: U.S. Department U.S.
vided just Tennessee Valley Authority. The estimated wind of Energy Before, most nacelles
under 30 per- employment doesn’t include were manufactured over-
cent of all
the in-state $8.5 BILLION local engineers who help
design the sites or workers
seas, including in Germany,
China and Spain, and
electricity INVESTMENT. who build and maintain the shipped to the U.S. at high
production, roads within wind farms, power purchase agreements cost.

“I
• Built Tough providing t’s always important Svaty said. signed in the first quarter Besides Siemens, there
• Simple
the equiva- not to think just Ninety-nine percent of of 2017, Hensley said, many were three other nacelle
lent power about the project, wind farms, which today are directly with commer- manufacturing plants in the
needs of 1.3 but also the economic are built to last 30 or more cial users and agencies, the U.S. – operated by Vesta in
million aver- employment impact on the years, are in rural areas, most since AWEA started Colorado, GE in Pensacola,
age homes. local economy,” Hensley with 70 percent in low-in- tracking such agreements Florida, and Phoenix Inc.,
On some said. “If you look at the full come regions, according to in 2013. in Massachusetts – as well
Mention this ad & receive days, said set of projects involved, it the AWEA. “We’ve seen a large as eight utility-scale turbine
$ 5 OFF
Terry Cox
5 gallons of AmerSeal®
tire sealant
Dorothy
Barnett,
executive
represents some $8.5 billion
in investment in the state.”
Also, since the majority
Accessibility to wind is
becoming a drawing card
to major U.S. corporations
volume of new contracts
signed, with a lot of
interest from non-utility
blade makers and nine
tower facilities, according
to the U.S. Department of
Larry Cox
director of of projects are built on pri- looking to turn to renew- and corporate purchases – Energy.
4649 Highway 40 - Box 169 the Climate vate property, landowners able energy. One Kansas Home Depot and Intuit and Some of the parts going
Grainfield, KS 67737 and Energy receive lease payments for project coming on line this TurboTax,” Hensley said. ” into nacelles – each turbine
Project, turbines on their ground. year will provide 178 mega- “We think the next big op- contains over 8,000 parts
785-673-4321 - Fax 785-673-4314 wind ac- “Those payments have watts of power to Microsoft, portunity for wind power is – still come from overseas,
OPEN: 8:00am-5:30pm M-F, 8am-Noon Sat. counted for grown to be a major con- although the company isn’t corporate wind purchases,” but that percentage has
www.grainfieldsupply.com upwards of tributor to farmers and physically located in the Barnett said. “There is a significantly decreased.
50 percent ranchers across the state,” state. lot of big national push
Skinnin’ & Grinnin’ Since 1945
of the Hensley said. “In 2016 alone, Of the 1,800 MW in new for large Fortune 500 and See WIND / 6
The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project May 2017 / 5

SIEMENS

Company begins integrating

new turbine into its production
By John Green that say “Siemens Gamesa.” New Kerry Baker moves a
Staff writer signage will also likely appear at the main shaft onto its
plant off Enterprise Drive, said Public side for assembly at
The massive rectangular steel box Information Officer Myca Welch. the Siemens nacelle
near the end of the moving line looked There is little other visible change
a little out of place amid a string of locally for the business, which con-
assembly plant May
the plant’s sleek, barrel-shaped tur- tinues to employ 360 people full-time, 11 in Hutchinson.
bines on the assembly line at Siemens along with temporary labor, on two Travis Morisse/
Wind manufacturing plant. shifts. Staff photographer
Otherwise, integrating serial pro- Besides production, jobs at the
duction of the new, larger SWT 2.3-120 Hutchinson plant include logistics, FIND MORE
turbine into operations at the six- maintenance, quality assurance,
year-old, 300,000-square-foot nacelle supply chain, finance, engineering,
ONLINE:
plant seemed like a natural progres- lean practices and environmental See video and
sion for an operation that has sent health and safety, said Siemens more photos
thousands of wind turbine nacelles North America spokesman Jeffrey and stories at
into open fields around the world. Grappone.
With the merger of Siemens Wind gatehousekansas.
and Spanish manufacturer Gamesa com/windfarm.
in April, workers at the Hutchinson
plant received new employee badges See SIEMENS / 7

Teamwork makes the job easier

n National electricity transmission expertise

n Proven project development capability
n Recognized operational excellence
n Deep industry knowledge
n NERC Compliance proficiency
Sharing our Expertise
Taking the lead in diagnostics, repair Call Jason Minalga to learn
and replacement of wind farm, utility how ITC can partner with you.
and industrial transformers.
248-946-8447 A strong partner for you
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6 / May 2017 The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project
Autolist.com ranks Abilene
as one of the most affordable
places in Kansas to buy a car.
The study, which draws on
more than 79 million vehicles
and 4.5 billion unique
data points across vehicles
of all makes and models
nationwide, shows that used
vehicles in Dickinson County
are on average $609 less than
the Kansas average.
2005 N. Buckeye • Abilene • 800-976-2085
KANSAS’ BIGGEST WIND FARM OWNERS
NextEra Energy Resources (Fla) 20 percent
Enel Green Power North America (Massachusetts) 17 percent
Westar Energy 9 percent (Kansas)
BP Wind Energy (Texas) 6 percent
Wind KANSAS WIND
IS ‘GOLD.’
lowers the cost of energy.
Two years ago, Congress
extended the Renewable
• From Page 4 Energy Production Tax
M
ore efficient Credit for five years. But
H turbines, longer the amount of the credit
Abilene
In 2016, 85 percent of U.S.- blades and higher drops 20 percent annually
produced nacelle parts and towers that capture steadier until it expires in 2019.
80 to 85 percent of towers winds drove down the That added a lot of stability
were made in the U.S. price of producing wind, to the marketplace, the
The latest public data said Scott White, of the experts say.
available, from the U.S. Kansas Energy Information Kansas is in good shape
Department of Energy, Network. when the PTC expires,
shows turbine prices in “In the early 2000s, if you Hensley said.
Autolist.com (www.Autolist.com) is based in San Francisco and is the fastest
2015 ranged from $850 to got 30 percent efficiency “You already have a
$1,250 per kilowatt. That that was really good for a gold class wind source in
growing mobile focused new and used car search engine.
was down from a high of wind farm,” White said. “ the state,” Hensley said
more than $1,500 per kW in Now they’re bumping 40 of Kansas. “We continue
2008. That means a 2.3 MW percent and the newest (tur- to see improvements in
turbine, the size produced bines) are near 50 percent. wind technology with
by Siemens, dropped from That’s pretty remarkable.” lighter materials, more
a high of $3.45 million each Swings in federal tax advanced systems in the
to a range of $1.9 million to credits supporting wind machines themselves,
$2.8 million. development also impacted measuring wind speeds
The “capacity-weighted development. They expired, more accurately to capture
average installed project then temporarily extended, as much as possible. Those
cost” in 2015, according sometimes retroactively, by advancements continue
to the DOE report, was Congress. to bring down costs of
roughly $1,690 per kW, Kansas saw a massive projects.”
down $640 per kW from its surge in wind development All of those factors have
peak. in 2013,before a tax credit combined to bring down the
Hensley, however, said expired. Development cost for utilities of buying
the cost of producing wind plunged the following year, wind power to its lowest
power today is down even then gradually increased. levels ever, making it com-
more, off 69 percent from The credit provides tax petitive with natural gas
2009, and experts project in- benefits to power companies and offsetting coal.
Holm Automotive Center dustry efforts will continue buying the energy, rather Said Barnett: “It’s really
to bring prices down before than to companies building the best economic choice
was just named the 2017 the PTC fully expires. the wind farms. But it still now for utilities.”
Kansas Dealer of the Year by
DealerRater.com for the 5th
straight year for Chevrolet,
Buick and Cadillac! Dealer THE TOUGH GUY OF
Rater CEO Gary Tucker UTILITY TRACTORS.
is pictured here with Tim The Massey Ferguson ® 4700 Series is built
Holm. specifically to handle your toughest jobs with
power, stability, maneuverability and comfort.
Stop by to learn more.
www.masseyferguson.us
Shuck Implement Co., Inc.
1924 E 1450 Road • Lawrence, KS • 785-843-8093
©2017 AGCO Corporation. Massey Ferguson is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation. AGCO and Massey Ferguson are trademarks of AGCO. All rights reserved.
The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project May 2017 / 7

DID YOU KNOW?

Main components produced in Hutchinson:

Gearbox Main shaft Main Generator Bed plate

18 metric tons 14 metric tons, 3 bearing 6.4 metric 12 metric
meters in length, 2.9 metric tons, tons, supports
transfers energy tons, produces 2.3 the main shaft
from the hub to the machined to MW electric and gearbox
gearbox +/- 0.333mm, power, turns
supports end at 1,600 rpm,
Kerry Baker wipes of main shaft converts wind
down a main shaft at at the hub energy to
the Siemens nacelle electricity
assembly plant May 11
in Hutchinson. Hub
Photos by Travis Morisse/ 20 metric tons, transfers wind power from blades to
Staff photographer main shaft
Rotor blad des
blades
Rotor blades can swivel on the hub at the
front so they meet the wind at the best
angle, or pitch, for harvesting energy.

Centr drive shaft

Central
The sspinning rotors capture kinetic
energ
energy from the wind turning the central
drive shaft. Although the outer edges of
the rotor blades move very fast, the drive
shaft turns quite slowly.
Gear box
Inside the nacelle the gearbox converts
the low-speed rotation of the drive shaft
into high-speed rotation. (From about 16
rpm to about 1600 rpm.) Now fast enough The hubs of the nacelles are assembled at the Siemens
to drive the generator efficiently.
facility May 11 in Hutchinson.
Brake
Anemoneter
For safety reasons, during high wind or
turbulence the brake is applied to stop the The anemometer and wind vane
rotor blades from turning. The brake is also on the back of the nacelle
applied during routine maintenance. provides measurements of the
wind speed and direction.

Siemens which are prevalent in markets

within the Americas region,”
Grappone said.
Generator
• From Page 5 In addition, the design of
the new nacelle, with its larger,
The generator takes kinetic energy from
Yaw motor and yaw drive square steel body, is intended to
Using measurements from the
the spinning drive shaft and turns it into MARKING allow easier access to its compo-
electrical energy. Running at maximum
anemometer and wind vane the rotor
blades and nacelle can be rotated by a
capacity, a typical 2MW turbine generator ITS SEVENTH YEAR. nents the company stated.
Besides adding production

S
will produce 2 million watts of power at
yaw motor so it faces directly into the ince its October 2010 open-
about 700 volts.
oncoming wind and capture the ing, the Hutchinson plant
maximum amount of energy. has produced nearly 3,700 of
the company’s SWT 2.3-108s − a
The electric current produced 2.3-megawatt wind turbine that
by the generator flows through operates with 108-meter-long
a cable running down through blades.
the inside of the turbine tower. The newer product features
a larger rotor, accommodating
120-meter, or nearly 394-foot,
blades.
FIND MORE ONLINE “The new turbine is developed
with an eye toward increasing
See this graphic animated at energy production for sites with
gatehousekansas.com/wind medium- to low-wind conditions,
farm.
of a second turbine to its line,
the Hutchinson plant is looking
for ways to make turbines that
increase wind farm efficiency.
Called “repowering,” upgrades
extend the life of existing tur-
bines, many of which have been
operating on wind farms for
decades.
“Depending on length of
service, overhauls could be ex-
tensive – including replacement
blades, hubs and the drivetrain
See SIEMENS / 11
8 / May 2017 The Wind FacTor / a GaTehouse Kansas projecT The Wind FacTor / a GaTehouse Kansas projecT May 2017 / 9

Transmission system
Down to 13,800 volts Down to 110
110
Up to 345,000 volts or 220 volts
volts

Steel transmission Transformer Transformer

Lowers voltage for
for
towers Lowers the voltage for use in use in homes
Wind
Wind farm Transformer factories and large businesses
Power
Power generated
generated inside Raises the voltage to help the
the
the turbine
turbine is
is carried
carried by current travel a long distance
under
under ground
ground cables to
the
the transformer
transformer

Barriers remain to realize state’s full potential

it crosses. Kansas, Illinois
and Indiana officials have
approved it, but the Missouri
Public Service Commission
rejected the request in July
Obstacles include
“We presented a lot more
facts and evidence on how
Missouri would benefit from
the project. Specifically, we
have a group of customers in
this in their backyard. You
can’t build wind in Missouri
and generate power for this
price.”
Lawlor compared the need

“
There are a couple of potential barriers at 952 GW of installed capacity, which could power outside of that grid. 2015. That agency conducted Missouri that will take power and ability to move Kansas
to wind energy becoming all it can be in generate 3.64 million GWh of power – 90 further hearings in March off the line.” “native wind power” through

regulatory issues, Kansas, industry experts say.

Primary among them are limits to the
times the state’s current energy needs.
With growing turbine heights and continu-
THE ‘GRAIN BELT EXPRESS.’
That’s a function of
just how cheap wind
and April of this year after
one developer, Clean Line
Those customers include
a group of 36 municipal
a pipeline to other parts of the
country to the movement of

limits to transmission is in Kansas and

transmission infrastructure that enables de- ing technological improvements enabling Energy, filed a renewed appli- electrical utilities who’d buy gas from the Hugoton Field of
livery of wind power outside the boundaries ever lower wind speeds, the state’s potential A Houston company has proposed building how valuable it is cation last August. 185 MW of the power from the western Kansas, or rail lines

infrastructure
of the Southwest Power Pool, and regulatory
issues on the direct purchase of wind and
solar energy.
By John Green
Staff writer
LOTS OF POTENTIAL.
Studies show Kansas, in the center of a
national wind belt, has the second highest
potential for wind power in the United
States, behind only Texas.
That’s based on how much of the state re-
ceives wind speeds averaging at least 16 mph
at 50 meters high, in areas both technically
and economically feasible for hosting wind
turbines.
A 2010 estimate by the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory put the state’s potential
is likely even greater today.
“There are a couple of stages to wind
development,” said John Hensley, deputy
director for industry data and analysis at the
American Wind Energy Association. “You
have to have a good wind source and you
have to have transmission.”
Efforts over the past decade have improved
and expanded the transmission system that
Kansas belongs to, allowing delivery of more
wind power within the Southwest Power
Pool. The SPP grid serves parts of 14 states
in the central U.S., but primarily five states
from North Dakota south into the northern
edge of Texas.
While there is still opportunity to add
more wind to the SPP system, tapping the
state’s full potential will require exporting
a series of high-voltage, direct-current trans- “We just completed the proposed 400 MW Iron Star to move wheat and cattle.
mission lines crossing the country, including to other parts of the hearing and briefings last project being developed by “Certainly it’s a mar-
one called the Grain Belt Express. Running country that don’t week,” Marc Lawlor, vice Infinity Power in Ford County, ket-driven project,” he said.
from southwest Kansas to Indiana, it would have this in their back president at Clean Line, said and the city of Hannibal, “We know there’s demand
carry up to 3,500 MW of Kansas-produced
electricity east.
yard. You can’t build earlier this month. “Now it’s
in the hands of the commis-
which would buy 15 MW.
“This wind, plus the
there, which is why develop-
ers put money into developing
wind in Missouri and
“By the end of this year, we’ll have 5,000 sion to render a decision.” transmission, would save this project. We do have one
MW (of wind),” said Dorothy Barnett, ex- generate power for There is no set timeframe their ratepayers $10 million other deal for a retail provider
ecutive director of the Climate and Energy this price.” for the board to issue an order, per year, every year, in oper- in Illinois, but the bulk of the
Project. “If that line gets approved, we’re but Lawlor expected one by ations,” Lawlor said. “That’s line is still to be subscribed.”
talking 3,500 MW more from western Kansas. June. a function of just how cheap The company conducted an
That line is expected to create $2 billion in “Our case was notably wind is in Kansas and how “open solicitation process” a
economic benefit to the state directly, and different than the last valuable it is to other parts of
another 8 to 10 billion dollars in capital in- application,” Lawlor said. the country that don’t have See PRODUCTION / 14
vestment. I think it would substantially open
the market.”
Developing the 780-mile-long powerline re- Brad Vest/Staff photographer
quires regulatory approval in all of the states A lone Vestas Wind Turbine next to a construction crane is seen Jan. 28, 2009, in Marienthal at sunset.
8 / May 2017 The Wind FacTor / a GaTehouse Kansas projecT The Wind FacTor / a GaTehouse Kansas projecT May 2017 / 9

Transmission system
Down to 13,800 volts Down to 110
110
Up to 345,000 volts or 220 volts
volts

Steel transmission Transformer Transformer

Lowers voltage for
for
towers Lowers the voltage for use in use in homes
Wind
Wind farm Transformer factories and large businesses
Power
Power generated
generated inside Raises the voltage to help the
the
the turbine
turbine is
is carried
carried by current travel a long distance
under
under ground
ground cables to
the
the transformer
transformer

Barriers remain to realize state’s full potential

it crosses. Kansas, Illinois
and Indiana officials have
approved it, but the Missouri
Public Service Commission
rejected the request in July
Obstacles include
“We presented a lot more
facts and evidence on how
Missouri would benefit from
the project. Specifically, we
have a group of customers in
this in their backyard. You
can’t build wind in Missouri
and generate power for this
price.”
Lawlor compared the need

“
There are a couple of potential barriers at 952 GW of installed capacity, which could power outside of that grid. 2015. That agency conducted Missouri that will take power and ability to move Kansas
to wind energy becoming all it can be in generate 3.64 million GWh of power – 90 further hearings in March off the line.” “native wind power” through

regulatory issues, Kansas, industry experts say.

Primary among them are limits to the
times the state’s current energy needs.
With growing turbine heights and continu-
THE ‘GRAIN BELT EXPRESS.’
That’s a function of
just how cheap wind
and April of this year after
one developer, Clean Line
Those customers include
a group of 36 municipal
a pipeline to other parts of the
country to the movement of

limits to transmission is in Kansas and

transmission infrastructure that enables de- ing technological improvements enabling Energy, filed a renewed appli- electrical utilities who’d buy gas from the Hugoton Field of
livery of wind power outside the boundaries ever lower wind speeds, the state’s potential A Houston company has proposed building how valuable it is cation last August. 185 MW of the power from the western Kansas, or rail lines

infrastructure
of the Southwest Power Pool, and regulatory
issues on the direct purchase of wind and
solar energy.
By John Green
Staff writer
LOTS OF POTENTIAL.
Studies show Kansas, in the center of a
national wind belt, has the second highest
potential for wind power in the United
States, behind only Texas.
That’s based on how much of the state re-
ceives wind speeds averaging at least 16 mph
at 50 meters high, in areas both technically
and economically feasible for hosting wind
turbines.
A 2010 estimate by the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory put the state’s potential
is likely even greater today.
“There are a couple of stages to wind
development,” said John Hensley, deputy
director for industry data and analysis at the
American Wind Energy Association. “You
have to have a good wind source and you
have to have transmission.”
Efforts over the past decade have improved
and expanded the transmission system that
Kansas belongs to, allowing delivery of more
wind power within the Southwest Power
Pool. The SPP grid serves parts of 14 states
in the central U.S., but primarily five states
from North Dakota south into the northern
edge of Texas.
While there is still opportunity to add
more wind to the SPP system, tapping the
state’s full potential will require exporting
a series of high-voltage, direct-current trans- “We just completed the proposed 400 MW Iron Star to move wheat and cattle.
mission lines crossing the country, including to other parts of the hearing and briefings last project being developed by “Certainly it’s a mar-
one called the Grain Belt Express. Running country that don’t week,” Marc Lawlor, vice Infinity Power in Ford County, ket-driven project,” he said.
from southwest Kansas to Indiana, it would have this in their back president at Clean Line, said and the city of Hannibal, “We know there’s demand
carry up to 3,500 MW of Kansas-produced
electricity east.
yard. You can’t build earlier this month. “Now it’s
in the hands of the commis-
which would buy 15 MW.
“This wind, plus the
there, which is why develop-
ers put money into developing
wind in Missouri and
“By the end of this year, we’ll have 5,000 sion to render a decision.” transmission, would save this project. We do have one
MW (of wind),” said Dorothy Barnett, ex- generate power for There is no set timeframe their ratepayers $10 million other deal for a retail provider
ecutive director of the Climate and Energy this price.” for the board to issue an order, per year, every year, in oper- in Illinois, but the bulk of the
Project. “If that line gets approved, we’re but Lawlor expected one by ations,” Lawlor said. “That’s line is still to be subscribed.”
talking 3,500 MW more from western Kansas. June. a function of just how cheap The company conducted an
That line is expected to create $2 billion in “Our case was notably wind is in Kansas and how “open solicitation process” a
economic benefit to the state directly, and different than the last valuable it is to other parts of
another 8 to 10 billion dollars in capital in- application,” Lawlor said. the country that don’t have See PRODUCTION / 14
vestment. I think it would substantially open
the market.”
Developing the 780-mile-long powerline re- Brad Vest/Staff photographer
quires regulatory approval in all of the states A lone Vestas Wind Turbine next to a construction crane is seen Jan. 28, 2009, in Marienthal at sunset.
10 / May 2017 The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project
Turbines churn with purpose
for western Kansas schools
By Roger Bluhm
Staff writer
The wind provides more
than electricity for students
in the western Kansas
schools of Spearville and
Cimarron.
Unique agreements have
provided long-term solutions
for those schools in a time
where funding appears ques-
tionable in many districts.
USD 381, the Spearville
School District, negotiated
with Kansas City Power and
Light to accept payments in
lieu of taxes in the town of
fewer than 800 people that’s
home to Kansas’ third-largest
wind farm.
“We had a board member
who was behind it,” said
Daryl Stegman, superinten-
dent of Spearville schools,
Contact: Derek Reilley, Wind Energy Program Director
derek.reilley@colbycc.edu
(888) 634-9350, ext. 5431
with an enrollment of little
more than 350. “It’s been a
good agreement for us.”
Payments from KCPL
to USD 381 began in 2011
at $121,974. According to
the agreement between
the school and the utility
company, payments continue
until 2041 and increase each
of the 30 years.
About 35 miles west on U.S.
400, Cimarron-Ensign USD
102 received about $370,000
this past year from wind-
farm developers in Gray
County.
USD 102 Superintendent
Mike Stegman calls it a “gift”
to the district of fewer than
650 students.
“As a gift, it could stop at
any time,” Mike Stegman
said.
USD 381 began receiving
WIND ENERGY
CERTIFICATE
online in just
two semesters!
CLASSES
ARE FORMING
NOW!
payments in 2007 on the
first phase of the wind
farm. KCPL forged a similar
agreement with six other
Ford County agencies in 2010
during the second phase of
construction at the Spearville
wind farm.
The 5,000-acre Kansas City
Power & Light Spearville
Wind Energy Facility opened
in 2006, as a $160 million,
100.5-megawatt wind farm
with 67 turbines that produce
enough electricity to power
33,000 homes.
The GE Energy 1.5-mega-
watt wind turbines are
mounted on 80-meter towers
and feed an underground
electrical collection system.
The turbines at the
Spearville Wind Farm are
See SCHOOLS / 15
Earn a
Above: An aerial
view of wind
turbines around
Spearville, as
seen April 11.
Sandra J. Milburn/
Staff photographer
Left: Wind
turbines
surround
Spearville, as
seen from the
baseball field.
Travis Morisse/
Staff photographer
The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project May 2017 / 11
Siemens headquarters are in Spain
– where Gamesa has been
producing turbines since
• From Page 7 1995. Its stock is regis-
tered with the Mercantile
Registry of Biscay in
– or delivering only a Spain.
few main replacement It will take up to two
parts,” Grappone said in years to integrate the
an email. work for both companies.
There are currently Markus Tacke became
nearly 6,000 Siemens the company’s chief exec-
turbines installed in the utive officer last week by a
U.S., capable of producing unanimous appointment
renewable power for more from the board of direc-
than 4.2 million house- tors of Siemens Gamesa
holds per day. Renewable Energy.
Tacke, who has more
MERGER. than 20 years’ experience
in the energy and power
generation sectors, served
B
efore the merger, for four years as CEO
the Siemens Wind of Siemens Wind Power
division – formed before the merger. He
in 2004 when German replaced Ignacio Martin,
conglomerate Siemens who served as interim
AG acquired the then CEO.
24-year-old Bonus Energy The combination of
– broke from Siemens as Siemens and Gamesa
a separate company. moves the joint company
Siemens has 59 percent into the top four of the
ownership in the new world’s largest wind
joint company, though its original equipment
INTERESTED in a career
WIND ENERGY in Wind Energy?
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Why choose
Wind Energy
at Cloud County?
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Community • We also offer a Blade Repair
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• College has an operational
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www.cloud.edu
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Concordia • Geary County • Online & Outreach
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Let us train you for a high tech,high-wage
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manufacturers. It reaches
more than 90 countries on
five continents, leading
products in both onshore
and offshore wind devel-
opment, according to the
company.
Siemens wind has a
strong market in North
America and Northern
Europe, while Gamesa
is well positioned in
emerging markets, such
as India, Latin America
and Southern Europe.
$3.4 BILLION IN
ORDERS.
B
oth companies
reported strong
second quarters
for 2017, which are pre-
merger operations.
Orders for Siemens
wind and renewables
soared 47 percent in
the second quarter, to
more than $3.39 billion,
compared with just over
$2.39 billion in the same
period last year, according
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to a report in Windpower
Monthly.
The company credited a
$1.52 billion offshore wind
farm deal for its 7MW
turbines among its largest
orders.
The company’s wind
and renewables revenues
grew 4 percent to almost
$1.66 billion from $1.6 bil-
lion in the same period in
2016. Profits were also up
about 13 percent, to $163.9
million.
For its first quarter,
Gamesa’s wind turbine
business saw increased
revenues of 48 percent, to
$1.54 billion, due primar-
ily to 40 percent growth in
activity.
Overall, Gamesa
reported $109 million in
net profit, a 39 percent
increase from the same
quarter last year.
Record quarterly
revenues boosted prof-
its, amounting to $1.68
billion− a 45 percent
increase from the first
quarter of 2016.
NEXTERA ENERGY
YEARS OF RESEARCH MAKE FARMS A REALITY
By Josh Arnett
Staff Writer
Before you can build a wind
farm, you first have to find the
wind.
That might sound easy, espe-
cially in Kansas. But for wind
farms, any breeze won’t do.
Companies looking to invest in
wind energy spend years scout-
ing the right locations.
NextEra Energy, which has
invested in wind farm projects
across Kansas, is consider-
ing a wind farm project in
McPherson County. The com-
pany set up two meteorological
towers in 2016 .
“This is exactly how these
plans start,” said Rebecca
Rivera, a spokesperson for
NextEra Energy.
The towers help determine
how much energy can be pro-
duced, and whether that output
justifies the cost.
Factors include average
wind speed and force, which
can be affected by altitude,
trees and buildings, and air
temperatures.
NextEra gathers data for
at least one year, and up to
five years, while figuring out
monthly and yearly averages.
It’s an important process,
because utility-scale wind
turbines can carry a price tag
of $3 to $4 million each before
installation.
Companies generally look for
average wind speeds of at least
13 miles per hour. The math
works out well in Kansas.
When a company decides
to move forward with a wind
farm project, a process of
permits, site plans and public
hearings begins.
A McPherson County project
could see completion in 2018 or
2019, depending on how long
that process takes – assuming
NextEra decides to pursue it
at all.
 12 / May 2017 The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project

College trains workers for fast-growing job: wind techs

By Erin Mathews
Staff writer
CONCORDIA – Bruce
Graham could be considered
the real wind beneath the
blades of many of the tur-
bines spinning in Kansas.
When he noticed an adver-
tisement that Cloud County
Community College was
looking for someone to start
a wind energy technology
program more than a decade
ago, Graham thought the op-
portunity sounded exciting.
A high school teacher at
the time, he had experience
teaching most of the various
skill sets a wind technician
must have to do the job –
electrical, hydraulic and
mechanical systems, as well
as safety procedures. He since
has learned a thing or two
about computer networking.
Graham started in 2006
teaching a night class to four
students.
“Things built pretty
quickly after that,” Graham
said. “Now we offer 30 dif-
ferent classes with multiple
sections. In the fall, we’ll have
110 students.”
The wind energy program
now has six full-time faculty
and the largest enrollment
of any curriculum offered at
CCCC, Graham said.
About 700 Cloud County
graduates are working at
wind farms all over Kansas,
across the nation and in other
countries, he said. Many of
them have worked their way
through the ranks and are
now in charge of hiring. They
often call Graham to see if
there are newly minted wind
technicians available to hire.
Graham said 100 percent
of the program’s graduates
who have sought employment
in the field have found a job.
Starting wages are $18 to $21
an hour with benefits, and
technicians willing to work
overtime make even more.
“We have students who
make $110,000 a year,” he
said. “That’s not bad for a
19- or 20-year-old student just
getting started.”
CCCC was a pioneer in
wind energy education. The
college’s program is one of
only eight in the nation that
have received the American
Wind Energy Association’s
seal of approval.
Graham said CCCC and
Iowa Lakes Community
College in Estherville, Iowa,
have a friendly debate going
about which college was first
in the nation to offer a wind
energy technology program.
“They had their building
and students first, but we got
Board of Regents approval
first,” he said. “They just
made it work a little faster.”
Graham said CCCC is
the only college in Kansas
offering either a one-year
certification program in wind
energy technology or a two-
year wind energy associate
of applied science degree.
It is the only school in the
nation offering certification
in wind turbine blade repair.
It also offers a certificate in
electrical substations – which
every wind farm has – and is
launching a new certification
and degree program in small
unmanned aircraft systems
– the type of drones used to
inspect wind turbine blades,
power lines and substations.
He said most of the
college’s graduates work in
operation and maintenance at
one of the many wind farms
in Kansas. The pay is good,
but the work can be physically
and mentally demanding.
“I tell the students I don’t
want to sugarcoat anything
– they’ll be out working in
the heat in summer and in
the cold in winter; they’ll
have to lift heavy objects, get
greasy and dirty, and climb
wind turbines that are 270
feet or more; they have to
work in confined spaces, and
they have to do all that work
safely,” Graham said.
Graham makes sure his
students have the wide array
of knowledge they need to
work in wind energy.
“It’s different from a lot
of industries because every
one of our students has to
know every one of these
areas: electrical, hydraulics,
mechanical, computer
networking and safety,” he
said. “They’re often working
in remote locations, and you
can’t climb to the top of a
wind turbine and find out it’s
a hydraulics problem and say,
‘I don’t do hydraulics.’ “

“
We have students who make $110,000 a year. That’s not bad for a 19- or 20-year-old student just getting started.”

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The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project May 2017 / 13
Can industry’s momentum be sustained? Waverly prospers as wind
By Chance Hoener
Staff writer
While discussing the de-
velopment of a 200-turbine
wind project, Gov. Sam
Brownback joked in 2016
about Kansas becoming the
“Saudi Arabia of Wind.”
Now it looks like the
state may be headed the
direction of becoming to
wind energy what Arab
states are to oil production.
Kansas is second only
to Texas in wind-energy
growth.
“Right now, wind is the
cheapest new energy that
can be generated,” said
Dr. Ruth Douglas Miller,
professor of electrical and
computer engineering and
resident wind expert at
Kansas State University.
“Utility companies are go-
ing where the money is.”
But many are still con-
cerned about the impact
of wind farms on the
state’s environment and its
people.
One of the biggest
concerns is what happens
when the wind isn’t blow-
ing.
FIRMING THE
FUTURE.
A
lthough extensive
work goes into
properly siting
wind farms – looking at
average wind, the impact
on the surrounding area
and more – fluctuating
wind speeds can affect the
amount of energy a tur-
bine is able to produce.
This issue has led many
projects to look at storing
unneeded energy from
high winds at night, and
using it during peak day-
time consumption.
The process, often called
“firming” the wind, can
be done in a few ways.
Common firming tech-
niques include using small,
bio-diesel generators to
manually turn turbines, or
storing excess energy from
the night in large batteries.
Criticism of these
techniques has come from
national anti-wind groups,
saying wind energy isn’t
as clean as it claims. They
contend it simply exports
fossil-fuel pollution coming
from diesel generators and
equipment used to mine
materials for the batteries.
Joe Spease, president
and CEO of WindSoHy –
an Overland Park-based
renewable energy project
firm – and Sierra Club
Kansas Chapter energy
chair, said wind power
stands on the brink of
solving its problems.
“Batteries are dominat-
ing storage right now, but
it’s too expensive to have
500 megawatts of storage
for a big wind plant,”
Spease said. “There’s an ex-
tremely simple and reliable
technology called CAES
about ready to take off.
“Theoretically, with
CAES a wind plant can
compete with coal and nat-
ural gas on production and
have electricity all day.”
CAES – or Compressed
Air Energy Storage –
works by using excess
energy from wind at night
to produce compressed air.
The air is forced into a
geographic fixture like a
cavern and stored until
the day when electricity is
needed. When needed, the
compressed air is released
through a smaller jet
turbine to produce extra
electricity.
Spease said with CAES
systems, wind farms
along the wind corridor –
stretching from Minnesota
and the Dakotas, through
western Kansas and
Colorado, to Texas – could
produce enough wind
energy to power the United
States. “Eventually we are
going to run out of cheap
coal and gas,” Miller said,
“so companies are using
those while they can to
better develop renewable
technology.”
Miller said it will likely
be 20 years before we begin
losing access to affordable
coal and gas, and by then,
cheap, capable batteries
will be developed for wind
and solar energies.
But for now, coal is still
king in Kansas.
Kansas electricity rates
– on average – are slightly
lower than surrounding
states, in large part be-
cause of the proximity of
the state to Wyoming coal
fields.
Coal-fired power plants
generated 54 percent of the
state’s electricity in 2015.
The state’s single nuclear
plant – Wolf Creek – pro-
duced 19 percent of the
state’s electricity, which
has raised questions about
what power source is the
best for the future.
NEGATIVE
IMPACTS.
C
ritics say wind proj-
ects do have an effect
on the environment –
both the state’s people and
its wildlife. Wind turbines
are noisy and unsightly,
they say.
Groups like the Protect
the Flint Hills have stated
wind development in the
Flint Hills region will
damage the last remaining
tallgrass prairie in the
U.S., as well as be a burden
to wildlife – killing birds
and disrupting the ecosys-
tem.
“The Audubon Society
has put out there that
climate change is doing
more damage to birds and
wildlife than wind turbines
ever could,” Spease said.
“And cats kill something
like 1,000 times more birds
than wind turbines.”
Spease also stated
said a study done on
Pete Ferrell’s Ranch in
Beaumont, Kansas – which
has embraced wind energy
– only found one bird over
a two-year period that
could be confirmed to have
died from a collision with a
turbine.
POWER PLAY.
D
istributiont provides
another issue with
wind energy. High-
voltage transmission lines
are needed to take power
from lightly populated ar-
eas where wind is plentiful,
to more densely populated
areas, where electricity is
needed.
The V-plan power line
connecting Ford County
with Wichita and Kansas
City, made development
for a lot of wind farms
possible.
The recently completed
Cimarron Bend farm pro-
duces 400 megawatts and
will supply power not only
to the Kansas City Board
of Public Utilities, but also
to Google.
“A lot of the transmis-
sion work is being done
privately by electric
companies that want wind
power,” Spease said. “If
private companies and the
state can create a smart
plan for development, we
can easily power the whole
state with the cheapest,
cleanest electricity.”
Part of the attraction
comes from tax credits tied
to development in the indus-
try, which could ensure that
projects continue for years.
Companies are finding
out just how cheap the
wind is in Kansas, and they
are lining up to sign con-
tracts. Business are paying
2 cents per kilowatt hour
– 2 cents cheaper than the
average wholesale price,
Miller said.
“Kansas has done an
excellent job building
out with wind, and it has
helped that our wind is so
much cheaper than any-
where else,” Miller said.
“Companies like Wal-Mart,
Amazon and Google that
want to use renewable en-
ergy are coming to Kansas
because it’s the cheapest on
the market.”
propels electricity to KC
By Susan Welte
Staff Writer
WAVERLY − Cattle, crops
and wind turbines live in har-
mony in this town of 700.
About 30 miles east of
Emporia in Coffey County,
about halfway between Wichita
and Kansas City, the 24,000-acre
Waverly Wind Farm project
got underway in early 2015. It
became commercially opera-
tional in January 2016.
“It’s a pretty good spot for
demand,” said Pat Cheever,
operations manager for the
farm. “We also find it to be
a pretty good area in terms
of the ratio of pasture to
agricultural land.”
About 100 landowners here
have leased ground to the
company for wind turbines.
“We are able to farm right
up close to the turbines,” Joan
Steward, a local landowner
who has two turbines on the
family’s 320 acres of farm-
land, said. “There’s really
no difference in what we do.
Once it was built and the
grass was replanted, the cattle
could go right up next to it.”
Steward and her husband,
LeRoy, have lived in the
same farmhouse since 1958.
Although they no longer farm
themselves, they rent out the
acreage to other farmers.
Steward said she doesn’t see
why landowners “wouldn’t be
cooperative” with the wind
energy company.
“It’s never been a very big
inconvenience,” Steward
said. “We were always able to
utilize and rent the pasture
and all of that, even though
there was construction,
because they put up fenced
areas for us to keep cattle
in. If they had to take out
some crops, which they did
a little bit last year, they paid
us for the acreage that was
damaged. They’ve been very
fair with us.”
The wind farm is owned
and operated by EDP
Renewables, a clean energy
company based Madrid,
Spain, with U.S. headquarters
in Houston, Texas. The com-
pany is the third-largest wind
producing company in the
world and has 37 wind farms
in the U.S., Cheever said.
“The cost of our fuel is free
from the wind,” Cheever said.
“It’s good for the environ-
ment, it’s sustainable. Wind
will never run out, like some
of our traditional power
sources could. ”
Waverly Wind Farm has a
20-year power purchase agree-
ment with Kansas City Power
and Light Company, their only
client. KCP&L offers electric-
ity to 800,000 customers in the
Kansas City area.
The farm’s 95 wind
turbines can produce 199
megawatts − enough energy
for 55,000 average Kansas
homes in a year, Cheever
said. Five to six hours of one
machine running is enough
to power a single average
household for the year.
Gary Preedy moved back
to Waverly from Meade six
years ago because of the
heavier rainfall for their
ranch. The couple has seven
turbines on their 1,600 acres.
“The worst thing about it
was probably the construc-
tion phase, which I’m sure
was kind of tough,” Preedy
said. “Back here was proba-
bly one of the wettest years
they chose to come in, and
it was super muddy, a lot of
rain. It was quite a process, a
bigger process.”
Preedy and his wife,
Sherry, have about 100 acres
of cropland, which rotates
for growing corn, beans,
and wheat. “It provides a
sustained income for farmers
who have ups and downs in
their incomes, based on how
their crop yields,” Cheever
said. The company also pays
annual taxes to the county,
which were $497,500 in 2015
and $507,450 in 2016.
The extra incomed helped
avoid having to consolodate
Lebo and Waverly schools,
said Christina Van Arsdale-
Tyson, with Waverly Wind
Farm.
14 / May 2017 The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project
Production
• From Page 9
couple of years ago to show
how much interest there
was in the power.
“It’s a FERC (Federal
Energy Regulatory
Commission) regulated
process to identify interest,”
Lawlor said. “They want
to know if there is interest
from suppliers and off-tak-
ers. When we did that, we
had eight times the amount
of capacity notice of inter-
est. That tells us there is
strong demand.”
Before they can negotiate
agreements, however,
Lawlor said, the company
needs approval by regula-
tors.
“It’s hard to get a contract
for a product when you
don’t have permission to
provide it,” he said.
If approved by Missouri,
“the marketplace will
decide how soon we get
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Kansas wind farms
Goodland
Garden City
Annual average wind speed at 80 meters
21.25 mph
Sources: Kansas Energy Information Network, U.S. Department of Energy, American Wind Energy Association and the Climate & Energy Project
into construction,” Lawlor
said. “It will be a good 6 to
9 months of negotiation to
get the capacity we need.
There’s a bunch of stuff
going on simultaneously,
such as environmental per-
mitting, financing for the
project, other development
Hays
Great Bend
Dodge
City
20.13 mph 19.01 mph
milestones that need to
happen.”
“The Missouri decision
is a critical threshold, but
after that we have oceans of
work to get things in con-
struction mode,” he said.
“It will be close to a year to
see that kind of activity gets
Manhattan
Topeka Kansas
City
Salina Lawrence
Emporia
Hutchinson
Wichita
JH/The News
17.87 mph 16.77 mph 15.66 mph 14.54 mph
underway.”
Unlike other transmission
that’s recently been built
or upgraded in Kansas,
Clean Lines projects are not
paid for directly by Kansas
ratepayers and other cus-
tomers in the SPP, but are
“merchant lines” paid for by
the buyers and sellers of the
power, Barnett noted.
The Grain Belt Express
isn’t the only Clean Line
Energy project that could
impact southwest Kansas.
A project starting in
Oklahoma that will take
wind energy to Memphis,
called the Plains and
Eastern, would also tap
wind in Kansas near the
border.
That project, which
is being developed in
partnership with the U.S.
Department of Energy
and has all the necessary
regulatory approvals, was
included as one of the
potential infrastructure
projects highlighted as
a priority by the Trump
administration.
“We’re working on getting
commercial contracts in
place for that,” Lawlor said.
“There’s still some uncer-
tainty out there, but getting
recognized as a national
priority project is great. It’s
really helpful. Not just for
the Great Plains project, but
it proves the concept.”
All of the wind that
would go on either line is
from projects yet to be built,
Lawlor said.
“They have the land, they
have local permits, but they
a utility, we’re a regulated
state and there is a barrier
to letting business buy wind
don’t have the market for
it,” he said.
power directly from the
wind farms.”
The Grain Belt Express is An organization called
a $1 billion project, Lawlor the Retail Industry Leaders
said, which will support $7 Association ranked all 50
billion in new wind devel- states on how easy it was
opment. for its members to access
“Transmission is the renewable energy to meet
lynchpin for Kansas moving clean power goals. Iowa
forward,” Lawlor said. led the index rankings,
which are based on 15 indi-
CORPORATE cators in three categories.
Oklahoma, Virginia and
ACCESS. North Carolina joined Iowa
as the only states with
T
he Renewable Energy measurable renewable
Buyers Alliance deployment through both
recently reported direct utility purchases
that that commercial and and offsite power purchase
industrial buyers – like agreements.
Google, Amazon and Target Kansas was ranked 21st.
– accounted for more than “Even though Kansas
half of all signed wind en- has a great wind resource,
ergy purchase agreements overall our rating was 21st
around the U.S. in 2015, because we don’t have the
pushing that market above 5 kind of policy to make it
GW for contracted wind and easy to do,” Barnett said.
“
solar power. “In part it’s
There are to ensure
significant I think that more and more power is sold
barriers, we see businesses wanting by utilities,
however, to access clean energy, but other
to making and I think Kansas is regulated
it easy for states have
poised to take advantage
companies to figured out
enter those of that new market growth. ways to com-
agreements, Certainly for cheap wind, pensate the
with states but also solar power. utilities for
varying Kansas is a top 5 solar re- selling the
widely on
source if we can insure that power.”
regulatory She cited
policies solar has an opportunity to Utah as
enabling such continue to grow.” another
sales. example.
“I think “There,
that more and more we they buy the electricity
see businesses wanting to from the wind farm, but
access clean energy, and they pay the utility to use
I think Kansas is poised its transmission distribu-
to take advantage of that tion system to get it there,”
new market growth,” said she said. “The businesses
Barnett, of Climate and are able to negotiate for
Energy. “Certainly for cheap price more.”
wind, but also solar power. “The availability of retail
Kansas is a top 5 solar re- choice,” the study noted, “is
source if we can insure that a critical factor for a state’s
solar has an opportunity to attractiveness to corporate
continue to grow.” and other large institu-
One of the reasons tional buyers of (renewable
Facebook selected Nebraska energy). … States that wish
for a new data center, to gain the job creation
Barnett said, is that it could and economic development
directly buy wind there. benefits of corporate RE-
“Nebraska Public Power powered facilities should
created a new tariff so encourage their policymak-
it could buy the wind,” ers and regulators to enable
Barnett said. “If you are not customer choice.”
The Wind Factor / A GateHouse Kansas project May 2017 / 15

Schools allowed the district to build

its gym, which opened just a
couple of years ago.
the cost.
The Cimarron-Ensign
district is putting the money
GARDEN CITY
HUB DELIVERING PARTS FOR 500 MILES
• From Page 10 “It was a big relief
knowing the community
from the wind farms into a
savings account and likely By Scott Aust heads that turn the rotors, component business but
approved the bonds for the will use it for future capital and tower pieces – are will provide an economical
designed to turn on when the gym,” Daryl Stegman said. expenditures to take care of
Staff writer delivered from TP&L via and efficient means of
wind speed reaches 8 miles “We had the money to cover district facilities. GARDEN CITY − The trucks to construction transporting aggregate ma-
per hour, at which point the the bonds, so there were But no specific projects huge blades that power sites in Kansas, Colorado, terial for KDOT and other
blades will rotate about 10 no increases for district have been identified yet. wind turbines cast impos- Nebraska and as far away street and road projects in
times per minute. residents.” “Right now, we’re explor- ing figures while rolling as Wisconsin. western Kansas.
In 2010, Ford County While the influx of cash is ing options, but we’re not down the highway on TP&L President Jim Orr It will be used as a
approved a proposal from more immediate for USD 381, far enough down the road their way to a construc- said in an August interview location for rail-to-truck,
Topeka’s Westar Energy to it is an agreement with time for me to say we’re going tion site. that the company chose and vice versa, product
build Spearville’s second limits. to do this or do that,” Mike There’s a good chance, if Garden City because it’s shipping.
wind farm, a much larger “Both of these projects Stegman said. “We’re trying those parts are headed to a dead-center in the wind Orr said last fall that
500-megawatt facility in a – the lighting and the to determine what will best wind farm in the Midwest, belt, a swath of the country the project will expand the
community where where gymnasium – are long-term serve our communities and they’re coming from a that runs roughly from New operaton to well over 600
turbines rise up like giants fixes for issues we needed the kids in the district.” truck that started in Finney Mexico to Louisiana and acres.
overlooking Main Street and to address,” Daryl Stegman So far, he hasn’t heard County. Texas to Canada. Finney County Economic
a brick church sits in the said. “It’s different than tax anyone complain about wind Transportation Partners TP&L started on 10 Development Corp.
shadow of churning blades. money, but only for a limited energy in the community. & Logistics is an offloading acres in 2011 and, in just Executive Director Lona
The money received by the time. “I’ve lived in western and distribution site for five years, grew to cover DuVall said the county
schools has literally lit up “The best we can do is use Kansas my whole life, and it wind generation compo- 240 acres, keeping turbine has certainly received its
the district. this money wisely to address doesn’t bother me to look at nents, and it operates on blades, tower sections, own share of wind-related
“The first thing we did issues the district has now, windmills, or see the utiliza- Jennie Barker Road and generators and other com- benefit due to the presence
was to change all the light- or will have in the immedi- tion of the wind that we’ve U.S. Highway 50, serving ponents on site. of TP&L.
ing throughout the district,” ate future,” he said. lived in for years. It’s a great the wind farm industry in The company has added It has also paid off for
Daryl Stegman said. “It’s Stegman said the district resource,” Mike Stegman a 500-mile radius of Garden more space in the past six area wind farm develop-
something we needed to do, is looking into a tornado said. “It should be good for City. months with the creation ment, DuVall said, through
was to make all the lighting shelter for the elementary us.” All of the parts that make of a new transload shipping a reduction in equipment
energy-efficient.” school, but may not use Contributing: Scott Aust, up the giant windmills – center that serves not transportation and storage
Later the payments wind-farm funds for all of Garden City Telegram. blades, hubs, the machine only the company’s wind costs.

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