CPV looking at Ellis County for 200 MW wind farm

You might like to know that CPV (Competitive Power Ventures) plans to file an application for a 200 MW wind project in Ellis County on Monday. The proposed project will be located about five plus miles southwest of Hays. Their plan is to offer it to Westar.

According to a local source most of the project area is native grassland on modest ridges, but the company has suggested that it will be on 40 percent native grassland. This site was reportedly developed by the same individual/company that developed the Moyer Ranch project proposal in Geary County. “Ownership” of the Ellis County project has reportedly passed through about three transformations so far.

I can’t say if this is or isn’t a desirable site for a project. Based on the criteria that it has a considerable amount of native grassland and with some knowledge of the area, it sounds like a “marginal” project that would rank as a “4″ on a desirable curve with Spearville ranking a “9″ or “10″ and the proposed Smoky Hills Project and Elk River a “0″ or “1.”

It would be really easy for a developer to find numerous project areas on cultivated landscapes in this part of Kansas that are close to the existing transmission lines. It is unfortunate they haven’t pursued these areas as alternatives worthy of advancement and “green certification.”

CPV is involved in over $15 billion of project finance and merger and acquisition transactions relating to power generation assets. That represents more than 20,000 megawatts of power plants developed, acquired, financed or sold that are in operation today, enough to power 13 million homes. CPV currently manages over 5,500 megawatts of operational power generation on behalf of owners with extensive financial resources.

In 2005, CPV teamed with a subsidiary of ArcLight Capital Partners to form CPV Wind Ventures, LLC and are in active development on wind power projects across North America.

CPV Wind Ventures, a privately held company owned by subsidiaries of Competitive Power Ventures and ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC. CPV Wind is developing one of the broadest wind energy development programs in the industry.

CPV Wind develops wind energy projects from conception through construction and commercial operation.

CPV Wind targets areas where wind resources are sufficient to support economic wind power generation and, they say, “where the operation of a wind farm is compatible with the land and local environment.”

They are heading west on I-70 to Colorado with their wind farm construction regardless of siting recommendations. One day western Kansas, that is everything west of Salina, is going to be a maze of wind mills, ethanol plants, fossil fuel fired energy plants and biodiesel plants. And let’s not forget the feed lots and packing plants. All the products, benefits, and huge profits will be packaged and shipped to Eastern Kansas, Colorado and other states. Western Kansas, now a most beautiful part of Kansas, won’t be a fit place to live, while eastern Kansas where most of the people and politicians reside, can be assured none of this will ever be in their back yards.

Then, we have the matter of diminishing water supply. All the cards are stacked against western Kansas.