Five years after its construction, the nation’s fourth-largest producer of wind energy is more than pleased with the impact of the Waverly Wind Farm and its future role in the network.
EDP Renewables built out the Waverly Wind Farm, with the energy facility coming online in 2016 after eight years of planning and behind-the-scenes technology development. Director of Development Rorik Peterson tells KVOE News the nearly 200-megawatt facility was among the first wind energy plants in the eastern half of Kansas when it was developed and built. That was important because most of the state’s population is east of Interstate 135. A long-term lease agreement with Evergy also helps to move the power where it needs to go.
The Waverly Wind Farm produces enough energy every year to power more than 54,000 Kansas homes. EDPR says the wind farm created almost 20 new jobs when it came online. It has generated over $2.5 million in payments to local governments and another $3.5 million to local landowners participating in long-term leases and easement agreements. On top of that, EDPR says the facility has saved more than 350 million gallons of water and prevented 1.7 million pounds of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide pollution from going into the air.
With production at two other facilities in Kansas, EDPR now generates just under 600 megawatts of wind energy, enough to power more than 163,000 homes across the state. The company generates more than 8,300 megawatts across North America.
