NextEra Energy Resources holds groundbreaking ceremony for new wind farm
NextEra Energy Resources held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday for its new Kingman Wind Energy Center, which is expected to generate enough energy to power 50,000 Kansan homes with clean, carbon-free energy.
The Kingman Wind Energy Center is expected to have a generating capacity of 200 megawatts. The facility will be owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources, while Westar Energy will purchase clean electricity from the supplier. Westar Energy will sell some of the energy to Midwest Energy, a wholesale partner, and the clean electricity will be available in McPherson, Chanute, Iola, Fredonia, and Sabetha, Kansas.
The construction and operation of the facility is expected to create jobs and provide millions of dollars to the local economy. The anticipated funds will be used to improve schools, public services and local economies.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback attended the groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the addition to the Kansas clean energy portfolio. Representatives of NextEra, Westar, Midwest Energy and Kingman County were also in attendance.
Construction is expected to be complete by the end of the year. The completion of the Kingman wind farm will give Westar a total renewable energy generating capacity of 1,700 megawatts, which is enough to supply one-third of its customers with carbon-free electricity.
