Wind Farms

Alternative energy is moving forward!  Several people from the Lake of the Ozarks Master Naturalist Chapter were interested in seeing the progress up close and personal on this beautiful autumn weekend.  It was quite impressive as just reading about it and seeing pictures cannot provide the power one can feel standing next to one of these giants!

King City in northwest Missouri has a couple claims to fame.  The area used to be the center of bluegrass seed harvesting, boasting to harvest more than the entire state of Kentucky.  It is also the home to the Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm in Gentry County on 10,000 acres.  It is recognized as the first and largest of the wind farms in Missouri beginning it's operation in 2007.  Tours are allowed by appointment only with over 20 bus loads of people going through and viewing these huge giants each year.  To schedule a tour phone David Waltermath (660-535-4315) or email him at dwalterma@cbcfamily.com or call Everett Rhoad (660-535-4527) or Lois Reynolds (660-535-4593).
Tours that include the Tri-County Museum, Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm, and Conception Abbey begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. They are available May 1st through October 1st Monday through Saturday for guided and self-guided groups of 10 or more.  Group Tour Rates: $45.00 including lunch (lunch optional).  A good place to stay overnight would be in St. Joseph, Missouri as it is centrally located and has good facilities for motels and restaurants.  It is located on I-29.

Ours was a private tour this day and guided by a local man who calls himself The Janitor. He can usually be found at the Tri-County Alternative Energy Education and Visitors Center in King City next to the Tri-County Museum.  It is a 6,000 square foot facility that opened in January 2012 with a primary focus on the power of wind and electricity.  It is an educational science center with 13-14 hands-on learning projects such as an upright wind tunnel, miniature wind turbines, and a shadow wall.  The building itself creates a learning experience as well being equipped with solar panels for electricity and an underground cooling system using water.  The building is strategically located to overlook the wind farms on all sides from the upstairs observation windows.  A couple of the wind turbine blades are along the driveway so one can experience the enormity and feel the flexibility of the fiberglass construction.  There are also small tabs strategically placed to eliminate whistling sounds as the blades move.  Check out the photos I took on this music album:

These wind turbines were placed in this area due to it being one of the highest places in Gentry County and has the most sustainable winds in the northwest corner of Missouri.  The area is a beautiful open terrain which before settlement in the county, was nothing but prairie grasses.  The location was good due to the heavy overhead power lines that allow for easy access into the power grids.

The landscape is dotted with 27 massive wind turbines that together produce 2.1 megawatts of energy which is said to power about 30,000 homes in a year. Each turbine reaching 262 feet into the air and has three blades 140 feet long. The Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm is only one of many Wind Farms in Missouri and Iowa.

Suzlon is the world's 5th largest and fastest growing integrated wind turbine manufacturer producing 350kW to 2.1MW capacity wind turbines.  It has a workforce of 12,000 people in the USA, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, India, Italy, Nicaragua, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey/R&D in Germany and The Netherlands and the Global Management Headquarters in Amsterdam.

Hardin Hilltop Wind Farm in north-central Iowa, about 4 miles outside the town of Jefferson, was the company's first operational S88-2.1 MW wind power project and Iowa's first community-owned wind farm.  It began in late 2006 and was operational in May 2007.  There were seven wind turbines built.

The Suzlon turbine's footprint is fairly small allowing farmers to keep all of their land in production growing corn and soybeans right up to the base of machine.  Now the farmers have the latest crop blowing above it.  Missouri's wind energy leader is Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. located in Springfield, Missouri which is very close to my home.  The cooperative is buying all the power for 20 years from Missouri's first utility-scale wind farms.  This commitment, as well as the strong high-voltage transmission system owned by Associated Electric Cooperative and its members, brought wind power to Missouri.  The Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm (2007) was the first commercial operation in Missouri with its 27 2.1MW turbines, 50 MW contracted on 10,000 acres in Gentry County.  Associated has since expanded commercial operations in the following areas in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma:

Conception Wind Farm (2008) - 24 2.1-MW turbines, 50 MW contracted on 7,000 acres in Nodaway County, Missouri.
Cow Branch Wind Farm (2008) - 24 2.1-MW turbines, 50 MW contracted on 7,000 acres in Atchison County, Missouri.
Flat Ridge 2 Wind Farm (2012) - 194 1.6-MW turbines, 300 MW contracted on 66,000 acres in Barber, Harper,, Kingman, Sumner Counties in Kansas.
Lost Creek Wind Farm (2010) - 100 1.5-MW turbines, 150 MW contracted on 20,000 acres in DeKalb County, Missouri.
Osage Wind Farm (2015) - 94 1.6-MW turbines, 150 MW contracted on 8,500 acres in Osage County, Oklahoma.

Because wind is intermittent, Associated supplements it with fuel-based generation to ensure reliable electricity for members and includes hydropower (8%), coal (68%), and natural gas (12%).  Wind is now at 12% and increasing as more turbines are built.  Associated's wind power portfolio increased from 600 MW to 750 MW since 2007 to 2015 - about the amount of energy needed by an estimated 181,000 households.

Yes, wind energy is here and making a significant difference!  With 20-year leases in place, we will see what the future will bring and if they will continue to grow.  At least if it doesn't work out as well as something else yet determined, we will not have to worry about what to do with any radioactive materials such as nuclear power necessitates.  The land can be returned unharmed.