May 8, 2011
Brownback strikes deal with wind farm industry to expand Flint Hills protection area
WICHITA, Kan. — More than twice as many acres of the nationally significant Flint Hills will be protected from wind farms under a deal Gov. Sam Brownback has reached with the state's wind energy industry.
The newly expanded protected area encompasses 10,895 square miles of tallgrass prairie, up from the previous 4,673 square miles, and will run south to the Oklahoma border.
The Wichita Eagle reports the new area will be called the Tallgrass Heartland, and Brownback said extreme caution must be used to protect it. Most of the nation's tallgrass prairie lies in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas.
"I do not, however, wish to convey a negative message about the future of wind energy in our state," Brownback said Friday. "My administration will continue to work with wind developers and wholeheartedly support their activities in other parts of the state."
The governor said existing wind farms that are operating in the protected area, and those that already have an agreement to operate there, will be allowed to fulfill their contracts. He said those projects will have "every opportunity" to renew those deals when they expire.
But they won't be able to expand, he said.
Kansas had seven operating wind farms as of January, and a number of others are in the process of being developed.
Two of the affected wind farms are just east of Wichita. The Elk River Wind Facility began operating in 2005 in Beaumont in southeast Butler County, where it produces 150 megawatts of power. The Caney River Wind Project, about eight miles away in western Elk County, is under construction and expected to begin commercial operation by January with 111 turbines pumping out 200 megawatts.
Brownback said he got feedback from a broad-based coalition of Flint Hills ranchers, preservationists, wind developers, power companies and government officials when he was coming up with the new plan.
"From the beginning of our commitment to wind power, we've been equally committed to locating our wind farms in environmentally appropriate areas," said Bill Moore, president and chief executive officer of Westar Energy, the state's largest supplier of electricity.
Comments
Posted by sèche serviette électrique on 08/12 at 09:29 AM
Wind farms are great ways to produce energy. But their location is also very important. I know this beacause I work in sèche serviette in Europe. This article is great because of that.
Posted by ufc 140 toronto on 10/14 at 09:11 PM
I think we should protect some land and use some of it. I think the wind farms are so important for the future.
Posted by The ultimate hunt game on 11/05 at 05:29 AM
As far as farm land’s concern crops taken on that soil are affected through any part of process of wind power generation.
Posted by krim walet on 04/24 at 03:17 AM
Oh! So nice. You did really so wonderful job. You have posted very informative thing. I am excitedly waiting for you next post.
Posted by Samyun Wan on 05/04 at 12:55 AM
I do wish there were more people like you around on the interwebs.
Not many people are careful with their words, including myself sometimes.
I have written things I would love to take back, goo work, keep it up
Posted by Tampa personal injury lawyer on 05/15 at 04:27 AM
The Flint hills in Kansas are some some of the best cattle grazing areas in the world..how are they managed?
how are cattle transported..? Are their a number of ranchers in charge or is it just one company charge of everything?
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Posted by RTA Cabinets on 07/28 at 02:21 AM
the coverage area of wind farm machines should be such that the farm land is use with its maximum possible efficiency . means that the farm production is not get affected, and it is need of the hour that some more effective solutions are being developed for power generation.