Wind brings Westar west   Garden City Telegram Published 6/21/2008 By STEPHANIE FARLEY   MARIENTHAL -- On any given day in western Kansas, one can lick his or her finger, stick it straight up in the air and feel which direction the wind's blowing. It can be heard through the rustling of wheat. And felt as it travels through hair and clothing.   But on Friday, representatives of the state of Kansas, Westar Energy, Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc., Wichita County Economic Development and others looked puzzled as they tried to figure out where the wind had gone. As Westar's Vice President for Generation Construction Greg Greenwood stood before the group, preparing to address the crowd during the groundbreaking for the new Central Plains Wind Farm, he jokingly threatened to cancel the event.   "There's no wind out here," he said.   But Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson assured Greenwood he'd have no problems with wind performance at the planned 99-megawatt wind farm being constructed east of Marienthal, between the town and the Scott County line and north of Kansas Highway 96.   "This is the least windy day," said Parkinson, who's familiar with the area and whose family still owns a farm about 12 miles west of the planned wind farm.   The wind is what brought Westar, which will own and operate the wind farm, and RES, which will construct it, to Kansas. By the time Central Plains is expected to be complete at the end of this year, it will have a total generating capacity of 99 megawatts and have 33 turbines towering more than 300 feet in the air.   Westar estimates Wichita County could see about 100 workers traveling through -- currently, there aren't that many workers at the site because construction still is in the early stages and a local contractor, Sporer Land Development, of Oakley, is handling dirt work. But workers will continue to arrive as construction ramps up.   Representatives of the companies, state government and Legislature and the county and city of Leoti traveled to the wind farm site for the groundbreaking, which included, among others, Parkinson, Greenwood, Westar Executive Vice President Doug Sterbenz and Wichita County Economic Development Director Sharla Krenzel speaking.   It was seven years ago this month that Krenzel made initial contact with RES about the possibility of a wind farm in the county. She and others had tried to attract the dairy industry to the county but with no luck.   So Krenzel started thinking of what industry would be a good fit and that would use the county's existing assets, not use a lot of water and not be greatly affected by the highs and lows of production agriculture. At the time -- June 2001 -- there wasn't a wind farm in the state. The Gray County wind farm was announced, and Krenzel thought that might be the ticket for Wichita County.   So she sent an e-mail to 16 wind developers -- RES responded that same day to Krenzel's e-mail, which stated western Kansas has a strong wind resource and those in Leoti were interested in exploring the possibility of wind power in the county. In a week's time, RES representatives told Krenzel they wanted to visit the county and three weeks later, they pulled up to the court house, where Krenzel's office is. It was a windier day than Friday, Krenzel said, adding that when they got out of the car, they said, "I think there's enough wind here."   Krenzel always told the landowners she wouldn't celebrate until she saw dirt move for the project. "We can officially celebrate now."   Greenwood said those in western Kansas might think the area is seen as "forgotten territory" in eastern Kansas, but Westar sees it as "a jewel" and partner in wind energy.   The Central Plains wind farm was part of an Oct. 1, 2007, announcement by Westar that it had reached tentative agreements -- later finalized -- with developers to construct three wind farms in Kansas, totaling about 300 megawatts. With wind-generated energy from Central Plains and the other two wind farms, Meridian Way in Cloud County and Flat Ridge in Barber County, Westar will be able to meet the energy needs of about 5 percent of its customers, according to Sterbenz.   "This is the right place to put wind farms," he said of Kansas and Wichita County. "We want to build wind farms where people want wind farms."   He said the amount of community support in the county, as well as RES as the developer, made the Central Plains wind farm stand out from the more than 20 proposals Westar received.   Parkinson said Kansas has a wind-generating capacity of about 10,000 megawatts, but the state was only at 364 megawatts at the start of this year.   Within the year, the state should be up to 1,015 megawatts, he said. Kansas will be the seventh state to reach more than 1,000 megawatts in wind generation and to have done so without a state mandate, he said, adding there's no way getting around the fact the state's behind where it should be in wind generation.   It should be a leader, he said, adding, "We're not, but we're getting there."   According to Westar Project Manager Don Ford, about 55 percent of the roads built for the wind farm's construction are done. Crews are currently digging foundations for the towers, and they should start pouring concrete next week for the tower bases.   He said the public might start seeing parts of the towers go up around the end of August or in September.

 

 

WESTAR LAUNCHES KANSAS’ LARGEST WIND ENERGY PROGRAM
 

TOPEKA, Kan., Oct. 1, 2007 — Westar Energy, Inc. (NYSE:WR) today announced that
it has reached tentative agreements with developers who will build three wind farms in Kansas totaling approximately 300 megawatts (MW). All are expected to be producing energy by the end of next year. The agreements represent more than a half-billion dollar commitment to wind power in the state and will make Westar’s wind energy program the largest in Kansas. In addition, Westar has indicated it will seek an additional 200 MW to be available by year end 2010. Westar also filed with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) a request for predetermination of the ratemaking principles associated with these investments. The agreements with the developers are contingent upon receiving satisfactory regulatory pre-approval. The company has asked the KCC to issue its order by Dec. 31, 2007. If approved, the approximately 300 MW of wind generation is expected to begin operation in late 2008.

“In January, Governor Sebelius called on the utilities of Kansas to invest in clean,
renewable energy as a way of making the state more energy independent,” Bill Moore, Westar Energy president and chief executive officer, said. “Westar Energy is committed to providing customers with reliable electric energy at a reasonable price and to do so while continuing to be good stewards of the environment. Our proposed wind energy plan recognizes these important commitments.”

“This commitment from Westar will help us secure a clean energy future in Kansas,”
Governor Kathleen Sebelius said. “Utilities, businesses and home owners can all learn from Westar’s vision – clean, renewable energy is the best direction in which to move forward.”
 

“Westar’s innovation and forward thinking is exciting,” said Lt. Governor Mark
Parkinson, co-chair of the Kansas Energy Council. “This action demonstrates that the voluntary renewable portfolio standard the Governor negotiated with utility companies is working. Westar understands that ultimately the most affordable, most reliable and safest form of renewable energy production is wind; and they’ve taken a big step that hopefully others will follow.”
 

Rep. Carl Holmes, R-Liberal, who chairs the House Energy and Utilities Committee,
applauded the announcement. “Westar’s addition of three large wind farms and their intent to seek an additional 200 MW will help make Kansas a leader as the largest per capita producer of wind energy in the United States,” he said.
 

Westar’s filing with the KCC indicates that these wind resources, coupled with Westar’s
existing generating portfolio, allow it to defer the need to build another coal plant. “At some point in the future we will again need to build a base load plant. But if we can defer that decision as long as possible, we believe that will benefit our customers and our state,” Moore said.

Westar Energy said in its filing that the addition of wind resources may lower long-term
costs of energy, but that in the short run, an average residential customer would see an increase of about $2 to $2.50 per month. “Increases in that range will allow Westar to retain some of the most reasonable rates in our region while protecting against future fossil fuel cost increases. Based on the ability to defer a base load plant and given the potential effect of future fossil fuel price increases and climate change legislation, the wind proposals are a good option for Westar and our customers,” Moore added.
 

While all Westar customers will benefit from the wind energy, the output of the three
wind farms is about the equivalent of the electricity consumed by 88,000 homes.
Under the agreements, Westar Energy would own about half of the wind generators at a
cost of about $282 million and purchase energy under supply contracts for the other half.
The wind farms are at three sites in Kansas (fact sheets about each project are available at www.WestarEnergy.com):

• Central Plains Wind Farm will be a 99 MW project in Wichita County between Leoti and Scott City. The developer for the project is RES America
Developments, Inc. Westar will own the generation at this location, which is
expected to begin producing electricity in late 2008.

• Westar Energy will purchase under contract 96 MW from the Meridian Way
Wind Farm in Cloud County. Horizon Wind Energy, a company owned by
Energias de Portugal, developed, owns and will operate the 201 MW wind farm. The 96 MW that Westar Energy will purchase is scheduled to be available in late 2008.

• The Flat Ridge Wind Farm is a proposed 100 MW wind-powered electric
generating project to be located in Barber County, Kansas. BP Alternative Energy North America Inc. is developing the project through its subsidiary, Flat Ridge Wind Energy, LLC. Construction of the project is expected to start in 2008. At completion, Westar will own 50 MW of power generation and will purchase the remaining 50 MW under a power purchase agreement.

“Westar’s commitment to renewable wind generation will benefit our customers and our
state,” said Doug Sterbenz, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “The addition of wind power further diversifies our generation resources, complementing our coal, nuclear and natural gas power plants. Second, appropriately sited wind farms – like the sites we’re announcing today – are environmentally friendly. And finally, the locations we have been able to secure have wind conditions among the best in the nation.”
 

In February, Westar Energy issued a request for proposals to develop 500 MW of
renewable energy by 2010. Westar narrowed 23 competitive proposals from 17 developers based on factors such as cost, environmental considerations, developer experience and community acceptance.
 

“We are pleased to have completed this first phase at prices and terms that are good for
our customers. And we’re not done. Our goal remains to have a total of 500 MW of renewable energy by 2010, and shortly we will begin identifying projects with the best fit to meet our second phase goal of an additional 200 MW by 2010,” Moore said.