NextEra has signed a 20-year contract to sell 200 mega watts to Westar. Property agreements are in already in place for 60 miles of the power line. He has five extra sites that can also be used if a problem arises, Gil said.Įlectricity will be sent to a new substation in Sedgwick County via a new 61-mile power line. Each generator requires one to two acres with farming and grazing available up to the base of each tower.Ĭrops do better around wind generators because they help prevent freeze and frost and extend the growing season.Īerial application of herbicides or pesticides should not be a problem because application is done when winds are calm and the turbines won’t be running.ĭuring construction, common sense modifications will be made when unexpected elements show up during construction. The project will have 121 wind generators each 431 feet tall. NextEra is also in conversation with Pratt Community College about a possible wind technology course.Īll land involved in the project is used with the cooperation of the landowners. This money can benefit schools, provide lower taxes, enhance county roads and emergency services, Gil said. The project involves 50 landowners that will receive an estimated $50 million in land usage payments.Ī $20 million payment to the county is planned in lieu of taxes. When completed, the project will create between 15 and 20 permanent jobs for the 30-year life span of the wind farm, Gil said. The project will create an estimated 770 jobs including 250 jobs for development and construction along with hundreds of indirect jobs. ![]() If the $388 million project is approved, NextEra plans to start construction in March and be fully operational by December. “It’s some of the best wind resources we’ve seen in the United States,” Gil said. Pratt County was chosen as a site because of the abundance of wind in the area. If they accept the application, it will go to the County Commissioners for final action. 26.Īt the end of the public hearing, the board will vote on the application. ![]() A third night, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Jan. ![]() New board member Brad Swisher said his uncle had property in the proposed area but it had no turbine so he could serve on the board without a conflict of interest.Ī second night of the public hearing was held Wednesday night. Bird strikes, property values and environmental impact were some of the issues voiced at the Pratt County Planning Board public hearing Monday night for NextEra’s second application to establish a wind generating farm in Pratt County.Ībout 150 were in attendance at the Pratt County Fairgrounds as David Gil, NextEra Energy Resources project director, laid out in great detail the Ninnescah Wind project that would put 121 wind generators in the southeast quadrant of the county that will generate 200 mega watts of renewable energy.Īt the beginning of the meeting, new board member Doug Freund disqualified himself because of a conflict of interest.
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