Sunflower Electric Power Corporation has announced it has completed negotiations with TradeWind Energy for the purchase of 50.4 megawatts of energy generated by wind turbines at its Smoky Hills Wind Farm. The project site is located 25 miles west of Salina, just north of Interstate Highway 70 between Ellsworth and Lincoln.

General Zoning/Planning Kansas

Deb Colle, Delmore Township, presented a letter regarding the approved regulations to Gamesa's Commercial Wind Energy Project resolution written by Larry and Pat Weibert, Bonaville Township, to county commissioners during a recent Board of McPherson County Commissioners meeting. The letter's purpose was to convince county commissioners to keep the moratorium in place regarding wind farm turbines and for them to take more time to listen to what Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and officials from the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Department of Kansas Wildlife and Parks say about wind energy. The letter suggested commissioners should also consider those who will be affected by the wind turbines.

General Zoning/Planning Kansas

Gamesa's Commercial Wind Energy Project resolution regulations were recently passed at a Board of McPherson County Commissioners meeting. Gamesa is considering the usage of 8,000 acres in McPherson County for the construction of a wind farm. Angela Krummel-Buzard, McPherson's planning and zoning administrator, reassured the commissioners of the proper procedures for prescribed burning in case a fire breaks out on the wind farm. A review of the resolution was needed for further questioning and to discuss two recent changes to the resolution. Steph Wiley, Gamesa's director of development, said Gamesa has several pending projects. She said the corporation has not made a decision on submitting a conditional-use permit for McPherson County.

General Zoning/Planning Kansas

The committee decided to include additional information to Section G, regarding decommissioning, restoration and abandonment for item No. 1 under letter AA. It will now state “Applicant shall submit a decommissioning plan describing the manner in which the CWEP will be dismantled and removed from the site at the end of its useful life. “All aboveground components of the CWEP shall be removed unless at the landowners request the land is left intact. Foundations shall be removed to the owner’s satisfaction unless the landowner allows for the access roads and or foundations to remain.”

General Zoning/Planning Kansas

Angela Krummel-Buzard, McPherson planning and zoning administrator, and C. Bickley Foster, a planning consultant, presented a proposal for the resolution pertaining to regulations regarding commercial and energy projects. The electric wind farm station regulation proposal was discussed during the McPherson County planning board and board of zoning appeals meeting Monday.

General Zoning/Planning Kansas

Ford County will soon be able to harness the Kansas wind with the construction of a wind farm north of Spearville.

Zoning/Planning Kansas

The regulations also have guidelines to follow. Among the guidelines is limiting location. Wind turbines cannot be placed in the following: areas that have potential for biological and/or environmental conflicts, where there are large and intact areas of native vegetation, in places that would interfere with important wildlife movement corridors and staging areas, sites that are readily visible from state-designated scenic byways or popular vistas, sites that require construction activities on steep slopes and sites with potentially sensitive cultural or historical resources.

Zoning/Planning Kansas

LINDSBORG — Three opponents of large-scale wind farms explained their reasons Tuesday night in Lindsborg to a group of about 50 people.

Technology Zoning/Planning USA Kansas

Dr. Lee Allison, director of the science and energy policy office for Governor Kathleen Sebelius, presented information on a topic that is circulating much controversy these days in McPherson County -- wind energy.

Zoning/Planning Kansas

Rose Bacon, member of the Governor's Energy Task Force and a rancher who owns property in the Flint Hills, spoke about the vulnerability of communities facing proposals from international companies that want to build commercial wind farms in rural areas. She pointed to the lack of “teeth” in regulations, and the attractive tax write-offs granted to wind energy companies, and the inexperience of local officials in dealing with such monstrous deals, depicting a state-wide scenario akin to the “wildcatter days in the oil business.”

Impact on People Impact on Economy Tourism Safety Structural Failure Zoning/Planning USA Kansas

Manhattan (Kansas) benefits greatly from the scenic and intrinsic values of Flint Hills ranching landscapes and the from the stewardship of ranch landowners who struggle to preserve a way of life in the Flint Hills in Riley County and the two adjacent counties to the south and southeast.

General Impact on Landscape Impact on People Impact on Economy Zoning/Planning Kansas

there are few if any places in the entire Midwest more worthy of preservation as an example of the great Midwestern prairie than those Wabaunsee County vistas

Impact on Views Zoning/Planning Kansas

A review of the issues related to wind farm development.

General Zoning/Planning USA Kansas

...you need to quickly learn the new math of wind power and not have to live many years with unfair contractors speculators are able to get uniformed landowners to sign at the dawn of a new industry in Kansas.

Zoning/Planning USA Kansas