Greensburg, Kansas, Wind Farm to Break Ground in Summer 2009
Tornado-ravaged town turns to green power source
June 2009
The formal announcement of plans for the Greensburg Wind Farm was made at BTI-Greensburg, one of the first local businesses to rebuild after a massive tornado in 2007.
Credit: Lynn Billman
Greensburg, Kansas, which was devastated by a natural disaster in 2007, will soon be powered by the force that nearly destroyed it: wind. Groundbreaking for the 12.5-megawatt (MW) Greensburg Wind Farm is scheduled for summer 2009, and the facility could be in operation the following year.
The City of Greensburg is partnering with John Deere Renewables and Kansas Power Pool (KPP) to develop the wind farm, which will consist of 10 wind turbines and be able to supply electricity to all of the town's homes and businesses. Electricity output will be purchased by KPP, a municipal energy agency to which Greensburg belongs.
After a massive tornado destroyed 95% of Greensburg on May 4, 2007, the town's residents opted to reconstruct their town to the highest standards of green building. Greensburg City Administrator Steve Hewitt said the new wind farm "will serve as an example of how communities can meet their sustainability goals through collaboration. Our efforts to be a green community hinge on our energy model."
The formal announcement of plans for the wind farm was made on May 2 at the grand reopening of BTI-Greensburg, the local John Deere dealership and one of the first Greensburg businesses to rebuild. The event was part of a community-wide celebration, marking two years of growth and recovery since the tornado.
To learn more, read the April 22 news release issued by John Deere Wind Energy (PDF 333 KB). Download Adobe Reader.
See more Kansas project descriptions published in Conservation Update.
Read recent Kansas news stories about state involvement in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects published on the EERE Web site.