Company Sets Standard with Unprecedented Conservation Efforts in Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Wind Energy, LLC, a
leading wind project developer, owner, and operator, signed an agreement today
with the Ranchland Trust of Kansas [RTK] and The Nature Conservancy of Kansas
[Conservancy] that demonstrates an unprecedented investment by a wind farm
developer in prairie ecosystem conservation. Horizon Wind Energy will invest
in a 20,000-acre offsite habitat restoration program, including an anticipated
13,100 acres of permanent conservation easements, which will benefit numerous
species of grassland birds, with targeted benefits for the greater
prairie-chicken. Horizon's investment agreement, brokered by Wayne Walker
Conservation Consulting LLC, will supplement additional investment provided by
wildlife conservation groups and state and federal agencies. The purpose of
this venture is to offset the potential on-site impacts of Horizon's Meridian
Way Wind Farm on the greater prairie-chicken and other grassland species.
According to the agreement, the Conservancy may advance loans to RTK, if
needed, to assure timely completion of major habitat restoration and
protection work. Ranchland Trust of Kansas will hold and manage the associated
conservation easements.
"Horizon believes that wind energy must be developed in a responsible and
progressive manner that moves towards achieving a sustainable domestic energy
supply while protecting local ecological resources. We are happy to make this
investment in the natural environment of the State of Kansas," said Chief
Development Officer, Gabriel Alonso.
"We are excited about this project, because it provides a rare opportunity to
leverage significant private resources for the permanent protection of
privately owned grasslands, improvement of grazing resources, and enhancement
of wildlife habitat on privately owned ranch lands," said Mike Beam, Executive
Director of RTK. "The RTK Board of Directors has a passion for conserving our
nation's grasslands for future generations, and this project is a big boost in
our efforts to make a difference. RTK's volunteer Board of Directors and staff
are grateful to have gained Horizon's confidence in our ability to do the
job."
Horizon Wind Energy hired a team of world-class Kansas prairie scientists in
2003 to determine the potential local ecological impacts of the construction
and operation of the Meridian Way Wind Farm, located in Cloud County. The team
included Professor Emeritus of Kansas State University and Kansas' leading
prairie grouse biologist, Dr. Robert Robel; Kansas State University Professor
of Park Management and Conservation, Dr. Ted Cable; and Prairie Ecologist of
the Kansas Biological Survey, Dr. Kelly Kindscher. Their multi-year effort
resulted in the best available research and studies on conservation in Kansas'
special grassland ecosystem. In addition, Horizon invited the Kansas Chapter
of The Nature Conservancy to visit the Meridian Way Wind Farm site to provide
an independent habitat impact assessment early in the development phase.
The outcome of the pre-construction investigations was a detailed report
describing the likely risks the project might pose to the greater
prairie-chicken, other grassland birds, and the grassland prairie ecosystem
that occupies a portion of the project footprint. The study sited possible
impacts resulting from habitat fragmentation from roads and the presence of
tall wind turbine towers. The report further recommends how to effectively
mitigate for impacts to the greater prairie-chicken and the likely costs
associated with mitigating voluntarily.
Based upon these scientific findings, Horizon Wind Energy committed to fund a
voluntary conservation program and included the cost of the ecological offsets
program into the wind farm's financial model. When the company responded to
utilities' requests for proposals for wind energy, the energy price
"internalized" the projected local environmental impact, which is typically
treated as an "externality" in traditional economic models. Avoiding net
ecological losses often associated with such development in native prairies
will allow this project to provide "green" energy in a more holistic sense of
the term. The benefits to Horizon included the opportunity to uniquely market
the Meridian Way Wind Farm by highlighting the use of voluntarily conservation
for on-site impacts as a competitive advantage in the marketplace and
providing Meridian Way's customers with the assurance that they would buy
electricity from a full-cycle, responsibly developed project. Horizon is
optimistic that this project and associated conservation will set a high
standard for responsible development across the wind industry as wind provides
an ever greater percentage of both the nation's and world's energy supply.
Meridian Way Wind Farm, with 201 MW of installed capacity, will power more
than 65,000 homes served by The Empire Electric District and Westar Energy in
the Kansas region with clean, renewable energy.
The Conservancy's Kansas State Director, Alan Pollom, sees great promise for
the implementation of this project. "In addition to the habitat rehabilitation
and protection benefits, it also sets a solid standard for ecologically
responsible wind energy development. I would urge all wind developers and
power purchasers to embrace the reality that concern for our environment
extends well beyond the issue of air emissions. We applaud the Ranchland Trust
of Kansas for their leadership, as well as Horizon for their enlightened
approach to this initiative."
In June 2007 Horizon Wind Energy signed a 105 megawatt power purchase
agreement with the Empire District Electric Company. In September of 2007
Horizon signed a 96 MW power purchase agreement with Westar Energy.
"From their earliest days in Kansas and our first conversations, Horizon was
exceptionally committed to understanding the potential environmental impacts
of wind turbines on wildlife. Their siting choices, the broadly beneficial
conservation easements, and the on-going cooperative research on the turbines'
effects on greater prairie-chickens well reflect the high value placed on the
prairie and its wildlife by the partners in the Meridian Way project. Westar
Energy is proud to be a part of this," said Brad Loveless, Manager, Biology
and Conservation Programs, Westar Energy.
About Horizon Wind Energy
Based in Houston, Texas and with regional offices in New York, Oregon,
Illinois, California, Colorado, and Minnesota, Horizon Wind Energy has
developed more than 2,000 megawatts (MW), operates over 1,500 MW of wind
farms. Horizon currently has over 11,000 MW in its development pipeline.
Horizon is owned by EDP Renovaveis, a global leader in the renewable energy
sector. Currently, EDP Renovaveis is the world's fourth largest wind energy
company. For more information, please visit www.horizonwind.com.
About Ranchland Trust of Kansas
The Ranchland Trust of Kansas (RTK) is a land trust affiliated with the Kansas
Livestock Association (KLA), headquartered in Topeka, Kansas. KLA, formed in
1894, is a trade association that represents the state's multi-billion dollar
cattle industry at both the state and federal levels, with a focus on
legislative and regulatory issues. In 2003, KLA leaders formed RTK as a
separate charitable conservation organization, with a mission to preserve
Kansas' ranching heritage and open spaces for future generations through the
conservation of working landscapes. More information is available at
www.ranchlandtrustofkansas.org.
About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around
the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and
people. Since 1951 the Conservancy has protected more than 117 million acres
of land and works in all 50 states and more than 30 countries. Visit The
Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org. Learn more about The Nature
Conservancy in Kansas at www.nature.org/kansas.
SOURCE Horizon Wind Energy, LLC
Communications Manager, Sarah Bray, +1-713-265-0310, or Cell, +1-832-226-2116,
or Fax, +1-713-265-0365, sarah.bray@horizonwind.com, of Horizon Wind Energy,
LLC
