The views and opinions expressed in this editorial article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Salina Post or Eagle Media. The editorial is intended to stimulate critical thinking and debate on issues of public interest and should be read with an open mind. Readers are encouraged to consider multiple sources of information and to form their own informed opinions.
By: MARK JOSLYN
University of Kansas
West of Salina, on the way to Colorado, I saw them for the first time, towering over the plains, their immense blades turning in slow rhythmic circles.
I was excited to see them, their sheer size awe inspiring.
My excitement, however, mixed with concern as the giant machines changed the quiet vastness of the open prairie into something commercial, even industrial.
Twenty years later, having passed by hundreds more – they’ve multiplied at a startling pace – my feelings about them haven’t settled. Fifty-one utility scale windfarms are now scattered across 36 counties, most west of Wichita but more appearing in the northeast and southeast regions. Wind developers require forty to seventy acres per turbine. Farms with a hundred or more turbines thus span thousands of acres. There are nearly 4,500 turbines ranging from 213 ft tall to the hub, 323 ft with blades 323 ft, at the state’s first wind farm in Gray County, to newer models reaching 374 ft to the hub, 514 ft with blades, at Prairie Queen in Allen County.
For reference, the Kansas State Capitol Building is 304 ft, the Statue of Liberty 305 ft. Wind power accounts for 47 percent of the state’s electricity, a dramatic rise from less than 20 percent a decade ago.
More wind power means less coal and natural gas. It also means compensation for landowners and employment opportunities for area residents. Plus, wind farms support local communities through taxes, supplying counties with steady
income to improve infrastructure and fund schools. And compared to traditional sources, wind energy delivers cheaper electricity.
Even so, resistance is building.
Wind farms divide communities, separating those who profit from those that do not. They cause heated disputes over zoning laws, especially setback requirements, noise levels, and environmental compliance. Other concerns include light pollution, property values, shadow flicker, transmission lines, and rural aesthetics.
I get it, renewable energy takes on a different meaning with a turbine whirling nearby. To paraphrase a Douglas County resident: “I’m for clean power projects, just put them somewhere else.”
NIMBYism (not in my backyard) is a real barrier to wind expansion, especially in the populated eastern counties.
In response to a permit request, Franklin County enacted a temporary moratorium on wind development. Douglas County residents successfully lobbied for more stringent regulations that stalled a windfarm proposal. Shawnee, Harvey, and Linn counties have recently banned wind projects. About a fifth of Kansas counties prohibit new wind installations, many in sensitive areas of the Flint Hills. Governors from both parties have issued executive orders to protect Flint Hills from wind developers. The Trump administration’s recent efforts to slow wind power introduces further complications, likely politicizing what had been a nonpartisan issue in Kansas.
Currently, the fragmented system of local regulations enables developers to capitalize on the financial vulnerabilities of counties and landowners.
Perhaps statewide standards could lead to a more equitable distribution of wind power’s impacts. Yet limiting local control raises its own set of thorny issues.
I am still awed by the turbines and still unsettled. I wonder how many is enough. How tall will they get? Where will they go?
Chances are development stays west, and in places Kansans rarely visit but where in fact the burdens of wind energy are felt the most.
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