Note to Editors: Adapted from the Kansas Profile radio series, this column profiles a different Kansan, Kansas community or Kansas-based company every Wednesday, as a regular feature of the K-State Research and Extension News  lineup. A photo of Ron Wilson is available at  http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/RonWilson.htm.

Released: January 10, 2007

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

The wind of Kansas. It’s a fact of life in our state. The wind simply tends to blow a lot in the center of the country. So how does rural Kansas make that wind an asset? A community in western Kansas is harnessing that wind in a way that is beneficial to everyone. Hold on to your hat, it’s today’s Kansas Profile.

Ken Domer is the mayor of Spearville, Kansas. Ken, who works at the First National Bank of Spearville, told me the story.

One day in 2002, Ken was working late when he got a call from the news office across the street. They said, “We’ve got somebody here who wants to talk about wind farms. Can you talk to him?” The visitor to Spearville was a representative of a company called EnXCo, which is a developer and builder of wind farms. Ken said he’d be glad to visit, but he knew somebody else who would be even better to talk with.

Ken called Kermit Froetschner, a landowner and customer of his bank. They visited with the EnXCo representative and things started to click.

Kermit had been interested in wind farms for some time, ever since the windmill farm had been installed at Montezuma, Kansas. Kermit had been pointing out to utility companies that Spearville had a substation, transmission lines, and level ground – all key components of wind farm locations. But when the investment tax credits for wind farm investments ran out, interest faded. Those tax credits were reinstituted a couple years later, however, and interest started growing again in 2004.

Kansas City Power and Light was working with EnXCo and was considering several sites for a wind farm. In December 2005 came the announcement: Spearville had been selected as the location for this new 100 megawatt wind farm.

By October 2006, the wind farm was up and operating. The project will include 67 windmill towers, each generating about 1.5 megawatts of power, spread over 5,000 acres. These wind turbines are a far cry from your grandfather’s windmill. They consist of a giant column and a three-bladed fan mounted at the top. When measured to the tip of a fully extended blade, each structure is 389 feet tall.

I spotted these structures recently while driving to Dodge City, and they are a sight to see. More importantly, this wind farm will be able to generate enough electricity for 33,000 homes.

This seems to be a win-win situation. Consumers benefit from a clean, constantly renewable source of energy. The landowners benefit from the additional income they receive at virtually no expense. The company benefits from diversifying its supply sources, and the environment benefits because oil or coal are not being consumed in the process.

Wind farms have been a significant concern in the scenic Flint Hills, but the director of the Audubon Society in Kansas has been quoted as praising the Spearville project. He points out that the Spearville location does not interfere with key wildlife habitats.

The Kansas City Power and Light CEO has been quoted as saying, “Spearville is an ideal location for this facility because it offers strong wind resources, meets our environmental guidelines, and has the support of landowners and the community.”

Ken Domer says, “I think it’s just a wonderful thing to happen to Spearville.”

Kermit Froeschner says, “It took a lot of work but it’s a good thing.” When asked if there is any downside, he said, “Well, sometimes I catch myself trying to count the revolutions and I run off the road.”

I’m excited to find a new energy source in rural Kansas, near Spearville, population 817 people. Now, that’s rural.

The wind of Kansas. It’s a fact of life in our state, but I’m pleased to find this community is harnessing that wind in such a beneficial way. We commend Ken Domer, Kermit Froeschner, and all those involved with the Spearville wind farm for making a difference with this project. So how do we find a solution for our nation’s energy needs? Part of the answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.

-30-

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus in Manhattan.

For more information:
The Huck Boyd Institute is at 785-532-7690 or rwilson@ksu.edu

K-State Research and Extension