Sunflower Wind

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Project overview


Located in Marion County, Kansas, the 200 MW Sunflower Wind Farm will generate enough renewable energy to power more than 70,000 homes annually. Sunflower Wind will help meet the energy needs of the state of Kansas by providing clean, flexible, wind-powered electricity.

Sunflower Wind is a long-term asset for Marion County and will inject new revenue into the tax base, stimulating the local economy. The project will generate tens of millions in new property tax revenue over the project life without an increase in demand for local infrastructure, schools, or emergency services. In addition, the project will create at least 200+ jobs during construction and will require ongoing support for operations and maintenance over the 30-year estimated life of the project.

Location:
Marion County, KS
Capacity:
200 MWAC
Technology:
Wind turbines from Tier 1 suppliers
Owner & Developer:
Ørsted Onshore North America LLC
Interconnection:    
SPP - Evergy
Start of Operations:
September 2023
Sunflower Wind map
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Benefits of partnering with Ørsted


Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates onshore and offshore wind farms, solar farms, and energy storage facilities across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Ørsted has over 2500 MW of onshore wind in operation or under construction in the United States. As a long-term operator of wind projects, Ørsted is committed to the highest quality standards of project construction and safety and has the financial strength to ensure execution. This starts with the first steps of development and lasts until the project is decommissioned.

Standard project design, procurement and construction practices include:

  • Procurement of wind turbines from Tier 1 manufacturers that adhere to the highest quality standards.
  • Local procurement of materials and local hiring, when possible.
  • Construction standards that minimize impacts to the environment and maintain stewardship of the land, for example using native grasses to stabilize soils and promote habitat conservation.
  • Regular deployment of Operation & Maintenance staff to ensure site safety and peak performance.
  • 24/7 system monitoring to track performance and proactively detect any issues.

Stewardship of the Land


Ørsted takes great care through its construction and operations practices to act as a good steward of the land where we operate. The majority of leased property remains in its original use throughout the lifetime of the project. Wind energy is compatible with farming, ranching, grazing, and other agricultural activities, as all improvements that comprise a wind project typically cover only 2-3% of land leased. At the end of the project, Ørsted will decommission the project to ensure the land is restored to its pre-construction condition.


Good Neighbors


Ørsted understands the importance of the land to our lease partners. With extensive experience in a variety of regions, landowners can be confident our projects will be designed carefully to ensure the protection of roads, minimize impacts on neighbors, and preserve the integrity of the soil and land.

Sunflower Wind is committed to listening to the Marion County community and to being a good neighbor for years to come. Throughout the construction and operation of the project, Ørsted will meet with officials to ensure a direct line of communication over any concerns that arise during and after construction. We are available to meet directly with nearby neighbors to address their concerns.
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Why wind?


Utility-scale wind energy projects can help transform local economies by providing significant local economic benefits without burdening local resources or increasing local taxes on property. Nearly half of all Kansas’ electricity generation comes from reliable, low-cost, homegrown Kansas wind power.

Wind projects represent a $15 billion dollar investment of private capital in Kansas over the last twenty years with no state taxpayer support. Annually wind generation saves more than twelve billion gallons of water annually.

Wind turbines can be built on existing farms or ranches to benefit the economies of rural areas, where many of the best wind production sites are found. Kansas farmers and ranchers can continue working their land while hosting wind turbines as the project footprint is less than 1% of the acreage leased. In Kansas, lease payments to landowners who host projects as well as neighbor payments total more than $36 million annually which is often recycled throughout the local economy. Lease payments provide landowners with stable income that makes them more resilient to volatile commodity prices and input costs.

The wind energy industry is a job creator in both rural, urban and mid-size communities across Kansas and the nation. In 2019, the wind industry in the U.S. supported 120,000 jobs across all 50 states including more than 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in Kansas.

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