Utilities surpass wind electricity production milestone

Kansas and Missouri wind farm operators Westar Energy and KCP&L recently passed 50 million megawatt-hours of wind electricity production.

The wind energy productivity represents enough electricity to power all the company’s residential customers for more than a year.

“Wind energy benefits our Kansas and Missouri communities while keeping our air clean and lowering our energy prices,” John Bridson, vice president, generation services, said. “With 23 wind farms, Westar and KCP&L are investing in competitively priced renewable electricity and additional jobs in our rural communities.”

The wind farms represent a capital investment of about $5 billion, officials said, noting the utilities have announced partnerships with NextEra Energy to purchase electricity from Soldier Creek I Wind Energy Center for production at the end of 2020 and EDP Renewables to purchase electricity from Prairie Queen Wind Energy Center starting in 2019.

Westar and KCP&L have increased generation from renewables by more than 12.5 times while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 40 percent from 2005 levels.

Customers receive nearly a third of their energy from wind and another 25 percent from nuclear power, and at this juncture, almost 55 percent of energy is coming from emission-free resources.