June 13, 2007
Kansas
Kansas
A group supporting the construction of a wind farm in Ellis County has formed a group called Ellis County Supporters of Wind and has scheduled a series of events touting the proposed project.
The wind farm, proposed by CPV Wind Hays and parent company Iberdrola, received its first official nod this week when the Ellis County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of a conditional-use permit that would allow agricultural land southwest of Hays to be outfitted with turbines.
The final decision for the wind project now rests in the hands of the Ellis County Commission.
According to a press release, more than 1,350 responses in support of the project have been gathered, prompting the organization of ECSW.
The move counters the creation of a group of opponents, the Ellis County Environmental Awareness Coalition, that includes several landowners in the proposed project area.
“The opportunity is staring us right in the face,” said organizer Dylan Bryant, Hays. “With this project, we can support a healthier environment with clean energy, and our state and county benefit greatly by being the wind project’s host.”
Bryant, Rachel Johnson and Taylor Bemis are listed as contact points for the organization.
A series of three information meetings have been scheduled by the group, all at 7 p.m. at the Tupperware Building on 41st Street in Hays.
On Thursday, Matt Heck of Iberdrola is scheduled to speak on the wind-energy industry; on June 21, two landowners from existing wind farm projects are scheduled to speak; and, on June 28, the topic will be “Wind Energy in Kansas,” with a speaker to be announced later.
CPV Wind Hays, the wind project developer, is renting the building for ECSW and is expected to play host to the new group’s Web site at www.hayswind.com/ecsw.
11 June 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/06/13/group-forms-to-support-wind-farm-plan/