Climate + Energy Project

Kansas is poised to lead the nation in wind energy installations this year, with 1,188 MW scheduled to come online in 2012 according to U.S. Wind Industry Fourth Quarter Market Report released today by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

Last fall, BP announced Flat Ridge II in Barber, Harper, Kingman and Sumner Counties. This $800 million wind farm is slated to be the largest in Kansas at 419 MW. At least six other wind farms have been announced for 2012 construction.

If all of the proposed wind farms come online by the end of the year, Kansas will be up over 2,400 MW of installed capacity, which should move us up into the top 10 (we’re number 14 today) for wind installations.  A good thing for our growing wind supply chain.

Unfortunately, if the Production Tax Credit isn’t extended, this will likely be the last year we’ll see this type of growth in the Kansas wind industry.

According to Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. “Traditional tax incentives are working. This tremendous activity is being driven by the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) – which leveraged an average of more than $16 billion a year in private investment over the last several years and supported tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs.”

The U.S. wind industry installed just over 6,810 megawatts (MW) in 2011, 31 percent higher than 2010, and has more than 8,300 MW under construction, setting the stage for a strong 2012.

With the second best wind resource in the nation and a growing wind supply chain, Kansas has a lot to lose in the race for clean energy.

Dorothy Barnett, Climate + Energy Project Executive Director