On June 17, 2019, Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc., as a member of both the Mid-Kansas Electric Company, Inc. and Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, Lightsource BP, National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO), and other Sunflower and Mid-Kansas Electric Company, Inc. members to break ground on the 20-MW Johnson Corner Solar Project in Johnson City, Kansas.
Located two miles southwest of Johnson City in Stanton County, Kansas, approximately 75,000 solar panels will be installed on 241 acres, making it the largest solar facility in the state upon completion of the project. Construction is expected to take place in mid-2019, with the expected commercial operation of the project in early 2020.
Mid-Kansas Electric Company, Inc., a wholesale generation and transmission supplier, is a coalition of five rural electric cooperatives and one wholly owned subsidiary that serve approximately 200,000 Kansas throughout 33 counties. Mid Kansas’ members in addition to Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc., include Lane-Scott Electric Cooperative Inc. (Dighton), Prairie Land Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Norton), Southern Pioneer Electric Company (Ulysses), The Victory Electric Cooperative Association, Inc. (Dodge City), and Western Cooperative Electric Association, Inc. (WaKeeney).
Mid-Kansas has signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with Lightsource BP, which will finance, construct, own, and operate the project. The National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO) facilitated the partnership. The project will capitalize on the abundant solar resource in southwest Kansas and provide an on-peak, fixed-price hedge against the market price of energy.
“Wheatland Electric is especially proud to be a part of this project,” said Bruce W. Mueller, General Manager of Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc. “We would like to congratulate all partners in this strategic project and are looking forward to the benefits this innovative opportunity will bring to rural Kansas and our members.”
Additional benefits of this project are the diversity it adds to the generation resource portfolio as a fuel diversification source. The new facility will produce approximately 55,5000 megawatt hours annually, powering more than 4,900 homes across central and western Kansas. This will also be an attractive feature to potential commercial and industrial members looking to locate in our service territory. Finally, the value derived from energy, capacity, and transmission savings provides a positive impact on keeping rates low to our members.