Enel North America Inc. (Enel), a subsidiary of Enel SpA, has started operations at the second phase of the Smoky Hills Wind Farm in central Kansas. It adds an additional 250 megawatt (MW) to the 101 MW already in operation since February 2008. The 351 MW windmill will produce energy sufficient to power more than 85,000 households in Kansas. Smoky Hills is located 20 miles west of Salina, Kansas in Ellsworth and Lincoln counties.
The produced energy is being delivered to five local utilities: Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, Midwest Energy, the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, the City of Independence, Missouri and the City of Springfield, Missouri.
“This project is the result of a solid development and construction team, an excellent site and, most importantly, strong local support by our neighbors in Lincoln and Ellsworth counties,” said Toni Volpe, Enel president and chief executive officer (CEO). “Smoky Hills is a tangible example of the new “green economy” and how we can both protect our environment and create a pollution free energy infrastructure for the future.”
More than 100 landowners are participants in the project which takes less than two percent of some 20,000 acres out of service during its expected life cycle. This includes land for roads, turbine foundations and maintenance buildings.
The big picture of this project is that it represents the vision of sustainability, of renewal of rural economies and of energy independence. The future is now,” stressed Rob Freeman, CEO of TradeWind Energy.