The Lyon County Planning and Appeals Board is recommending approval of the county’s latest potential energy project.
Board members voted unanimously to approve 4 Rivers’ plan for a solar energy facility in the 2700 block of Road M, about six miles northeast of Americus and 10 miles north of Emporia. Board member Phil Mott says it’s important to have renewable energy projects like this for county residents.
The plan is to connect the sun farm directly into 4 Rivers’ Americus substation nearby. Power could go to both the Americus substation and Thunderbird substation near Emporia, depending on the situation. 4 Rivers General Manager Dennis Svanes says the sun farm is a cost-saving measure for the cooperative and its members.
The one-megawatt facility is one of around 20 that are in the planning stages across Kansas, courtesy of a partnership between electric cooperatives and Today’s Power. The next step in the process is possible final approval by the Lyon County Commission, which will be discussed in two weeks. If approved, construction could start in January and power could start generating by June.
This would follow completion of Southern Power’s Reading Wind Facility earlier this year and Evergy’s Emporia Energy Center between Emporia and Reading in 2008.
