Wind Energy - Kansas Chapter Position - June 2007

Three major wind farms have been built in Kansas , and currently a number of wind farms are in various stages of planning. It should come as no surprise that the Kansas Chapter of the Sierra Club is strongly supportive of wind energy development in the state of Kansas . The cornerstone of our support is that wind power is a clean, renewable source of electricity generation which can significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, especially coal, a major source of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Furthermore, wind energy can help preserve precious resources such as natural gas and help limit the further development of nuclear energy.

However, nothing humans do is without environmental consequences, so the concept of "zero impact" is not realistic. This applies to wind energy. Nonetheless, as more sites are proposed for development, we need appropriate safeguards to ensure that wind farms do not cause undue harm to ecologically sensitive areas.

Why wind energy? One need only read the publications of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to comprehend the seriousness of global warming. In the last 150 years we have modified our atmosphere with increasing emissions of the greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxide. It is especially shocking that atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased 35% above levels that we know have been steady for over a thousand years (280 ppm). The IPCC states that wind power is an important mitigation opportunity that can offset projected growth of global GHG emissions or even reduce emissions below current levels.

It behooves all of us to think of our children, and our children's children, as we look for sustainable energy sources and lifestyles changes. This problem is serious enough that we may have to accept certain tradeoffs with respect to our economy and with respect to less serious environmental impacts related to land use.

Can wind energy make a difference?   Absolutely.  Only 10 wind sites with 67 - 1.5 megawatt turbines could produce a total of about 1000 megawatts at optimum wind speeds, or an annual average of 400 megawatts when accounting for typical net power production at good sites in Kansas (40% capacity factor).  A 100 MW rated wind farm would average 40 MW production during the year, and that is not small.  Kansas has numerous fossil fuel/internal combustion municipal power plants producing less than 10 megawatts.  For reference, the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant produces about 930 MW, and the Lawrence Energy Center about 450 megawatts.  Westar Energy, which supplies electricity to eastern and central Kansas , has a total capacity of 5800 megawatts and a typical output of about 3500 MW.  So a relatively small number of wind sites could easily supply over 11% of Westar's power production and reduce either coal or natural gas/fuel oil use.

Why develop wind energy in Kansas? Wind speeds and reliability places Kansas as one of the top three states in North America . In general the highest potential winds power regions are located in the southwest and eastern Flint Hills regions of the state. However, almost the entire state, with the exception of the extreme eastern region, has sufficient winds speeds to support wind farms. In addition certain landscape features in any region can significantly increase wind energy potential at a particular location.

Placement of Wind Farms . The availability of high voltage transmission lines is a primary factor dictating the location of wind sites. A majority of these lines are located in the eastern and south central part of the state, including several that run through the Flint Hills. Unfortunately, there are no major lines in northwestern Kansas and those that do exist do not serve major population centers in eastern Colorado or eastern Kansas . Due to the high cost of construction, up to a million dollars per mile, it will take a number of years to get new transmission lines in place.

The placement (siting) of wind farms in some areas of the state has been controversial. Should sites only be allowed in western Kansas or should development be considered for the entire state? Do we allow wind development in the Flint Hills region?

Potential Environmental Impacts . Wind power is not new to the United State and has been especially prominent in California since the early 1980s. We can learn from some of the mistakes in California and prevent poor site location such as the Altamont Pass area east of San Francisco Bay where significant raptor (Golden Eagle) kills have occurred. Bird fatalities can be prevented if environmental assessments are completed prior to site selection that identify critical wildlife habitat and breeding areas. Recent data indicates that very few birds are killed by the newer designs of wind turbines, though a study in Kansas is ongoing at the Elk River wind farm.

There is little evidence that controlled development of wind sites in Kansas will cause irreparable harm. However, because of its widely appreciated scenic values and iconic status, the Kansas Chapter supports the Governor's ban on utility scale wind farms in the "Heart of the Flint Hills" area. We disagree, however, with wind farm opponents that wind farms should be kept out of other scenic regions of Kansas . In fact our study of this question (see Analysis of Governor's Wind Power Goals) shows that even if all the wind farms envisioned by the Governor's 2020 goal for renewable energy were placed in scenic regions such as the Flint Hills, Smokey Hills and Red Hills, only 2% or less of the land would be affected.

It is conceivable that wind development may help preserve scenic areas by giving farmers, ranchers and rural communities needed income and an economic alternate to CAFOs, and other undesirable agricultural practices. It is no secret that the major threat to the wildlife in the Flint Hills is the practice of annual, early spring burning followed by double stocking of cattle through the summer. What does the future hold for the Flint Hills and other scenic areas as global warming encompasses the planet?

Wind power in Kansas can be a positive force in our efforts to fight global warming. With close monitoring wind farm siting can be done in an environmentally acceptable manner. In any case some people will find wind turbines visually unappealing. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As one environmentalist said, "Wind towers are not ugly---in fact they give many of us hope in this otherwise dreary eco-political landscape."

Chapter's Position on Wind Farm Siting in Kansas

Our position is based on the following findings. Aside from the area designated by the Governor as the "Heart of the Flint Hills" we think that all areas of Kansas should be open to wind power development provided proper safeguards are taken to ensure that environmental impacts are limited. Viewscape concerns are generally not sufficient reason to prohibit wind turbines. However this is an issue whose resolution should be left to the local political process. Unplowed ground, or cow pastures, are not equivalent to original or functioning prairie if they are in use for human purposes, unless they are officially protected. It is not logical to allow widespread destructive practices related to cattle grazing while at the same time asserting that wind turbines should be prohibited on the same ground.

Selection and Maintenance of a Desirable Wind Project

Developers should hold meetings with neighbors and the public prior to the application for permits and zoning. The developer/company should provide a history of current installations in the region and other states. Officials and environmentalists in other states should be contacted to see if there are any ongoing problems with the sites.

Site selection

Before site construction begins the company should be bonded so as to allow for site clean-up upon decommissioning.

All environmental commitments should be in writing from the appropriate officials.

Site clean-up should be well defined, including restoration of the construction lay-down areas. The exact composition and application rate of grass seed and vegetation should be clearly defined.

Tower foundations must be removed down to plow depth or deeper, if need be, upon decommissioning.

A clear line of delineation should be defined when a site is no longer active, and remediation is to begin. For example, a site contains 50 towers in which only one is kept active. In many cases a lone tower legally defies the entire site as active so as to skirt any environmental remediation.

All site preparation should include an environmental impact study, especially including birds and bats. The company should also continue bird impact studies during the life of the project.

Critical habitat, such as Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivera National Wildlife Refuge should be avoided, and turbines should be kept five miles away from significant, water bird resting sites along flyways/migration routes.

Towers and Site Construction and Maintenance

The footprint of the project should be as small as possible. Towers should be arranged so as to minimize access roads, ie. only one road should be necessary to service the towers. Roads should not be built on terrain where erosion cannot be controlled

Access roads should be narrow (no more than 10-12 ft) and the power cables should be buried right next to the road.

Towers should be plain with no advertisement or company logos.

Tower aviation lighting should be white and arranged to be as unobtrusive as possible. Lighting should be arranged so that it faces upwards and is not as visible from ground level.

Lay-down areas for tower assembly should be small, and completely restored once construction is complete.

Site buildings should be constructed of native materials so as to blend in with the surrounding environment.

Once the site is operational it should be kept clean of construction debris, discarded parts and any other material that makes the site resemble an industrial complex.