Wind power in Missouri

Wind power in Missouri has an installed capacity of 959 MW from 499 turbines, as of 2016.[1] This provided 1.29% of the state's electricity production.[2]

Missouri 80-Meter Wind Resource Map

Missouri's total wind generation potential is estimated to be 340 GW.[1]

Installed Capacity

As of 2016, Missouri had 959 MW of installed capacity, all installed in the north-west corner of the state.[1] At least six wind farms were developed by Wind Capital Group between 2006 and 2009. As of 2017, the largest wind farm in the state came online, the 300 MW Rock Creek Wind Farm in Atchison County.[3]

Northwest Missouri is considered the windiest portion of the state and clips the windiest portion of the country which is known as Tornado Alley.

ProjectCountyCityTurbinesNominal Power (Mw)CommissionedNotes
Bluegrass Ridge wind energy project GentryKing City2756.72008[4] Developed by Wind Capital Group (now owned by Exelon). Wind Capital's founder is Tom Carnahan, son of Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan and U.S. Senator Jean Carnahan
Clear Creek Wind Energy Project NodawayMaryville1112422020[5] Developed by Tenaska with lease by Associated Electric Cooperative in Springfield to provide power for rural electric cooperatives in Missouri, Iowa and Oklahoma.[5][6]
Conception Wind Project NodawayConception2450.42008[7] Developed by Wind Capital Group (now owned by Exelon)
Cow Branch Wind Energy Center AtchisonRockport2450.42008[8] Developed by Wind Capital Group (now owned by Exelon)
Farmers City AtchisonWestboro73146.02009[9] Owned by and developed by Iberdrola Renovables.
Loess Hills Wind Energy Center AtchisonRockport45.02008First city in US to get its total power from wind.[10] Developed by Wind Capital Group (now owned by Exelon)
Lost Creek Ridge Wind Farm DeKalbUnion Star100150.02011[11] Developed by Wind Capital Group and later sold to Pattern Energy.
Osborn DekalbOsborn88176.02016[12] Developed and owned by NextEra Energy.
Rock Creek AtchisonYork150300.02017Largest in Missouri and cost $500 Million[13] Owned and developed by Enel Green Power (after acquisition in 2019 of Kansas-based Tradewind Energy).[14][14]

Transmission Capacity

There have been several attempts at getting regulatory approval of transmission lines to carry wind power, either to the load centers of Missouri, or through Missouri, from major wind power producers in the Great Plains states to load centers further east.

Completed
  • The Midwest Transmission Project is a 180-mile 345-kV transmission line which became active in 2017. It connects the Omaha Public Power District (at its Nebraska City, Nebraska substation with the Kansas City Power & Light substation at Sibley, Missouri and has one major substation in Maryville, Missouri. The line was not specifically designed to supplement the wind grid but FAQ notes it "will create opportunities for existing and new future wind energy to access to the regional transmission system." It is a priority project of the Southwest Power Pool.[15]

Proposed
  • The Mark Twain Transmission Project was proposed by Ameren to connect Palmyra, Kirksville and Iowa.[16] Approval was given for construction by each of the counties the transmission lines passed through, with construction expected to be completed by December 2019.
  • The Grain Belt Express is a proposed 4 GW transmission line from western Kansas to Indiana.[17][18] The Missouri Public Service Commission twice rejected the proposal, initially due to questions of the benefits of the project to the state, and later due to a lack of assent from all counties.[19][20] The Missouri Eastern District Court of Appeals ruled the commission erred in its second rejection,[21] but sent the case to the Missouri Supreme Court.[18]

Planned Growth

In October 2017, the Empire District Electric Company proposed installing 500 MW of wind turbines in Jasper, Barton, Dade, and Lawrence counties.[22][23][24]

In May 2018, Ameren has announced plans to construct a 175 turbine, 400 MW wind farm in Adair and Schuyler counties.[25] Construction is expected to being in 2019, with the project coming online in 2020.

In February 2019, E.ON announced plans for a 150 MW wind farm northwest of Columbia, Missouri in rural Boone County.[26]

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See also

References
  1. "Wind Energy in Missouri" (PDF). AWEA. American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  2. "Wind Energy in Missouri". WINDExchange. Department of Energy. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  3. Dornbrook, James (15 November 2017). "Now online: Giant Missouri wind farm that can power 100,000 homes, supplies KC". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  4. "Bluegrass Ridge wind energy project (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net.
  5. https://www.newspressnow.com/news/state/wind-farm-in-northwest-missouri-begins-commercial-operation/article_662216ce-e571-5e01-a57f-362a37fb3cd0.html
  6. https://www.naes.com/locations/tenaska-clear-creek-energy-center/
  7. "Conception Wind Project (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net.
  8. "Cow Branch Wind Energy Center (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net.
  9. "Farmers City (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net.
  10. "Loess Hills Wind Energy Center (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net.
  11. "Lost Creek Ridge Wind Farm (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net.
  12. "Osborn Wind Energy (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net.
  13. "Rock Creek (USA) - Wind farms - Online access - The Wind Power". www.thewindpower.net.
  14. "White Cloud Wind Project, a new wind farm in Missouri providing renewable energy to AECI". www.enelgreenpower.com.
  15. "Midwest Transmission Project". www.midwesttransmissionproject.com.
  16. Szatala, Ashley (21 May 2018). "Ameren plans state's largest wind farm in Northeast Missouri". Herald-Whig. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  17. Taylor, Jason (4 April 2018). "Missouri Supreme Court hears case on future of massive wind energy transmission line". Missourinet. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  18. Lieb, David (3 April 2018). "Ex-Missouri Governor Urges Court to Allow Wind-Energy Line". US News & World Report. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  19. Eckhouse, Brian (16 August 2017). "Missouri Nixes $2.5 Billion Line to Bring Wind Power to the Midwest". Bloomberg. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  20. Lieb, David (16 August 2017). "Missouri regulators reject massive Midwest wind power line". Seattle Times. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  21. Walton, Robert (28 February 2018). "Grain Belt Express transmission project heads to Missouri Supreme Court". Utility Dive. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  22. Larimore, Jordan (31 October 2017). "UPDATED: Empire plans pivot to wind energy generation". Joplin Globe. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  23. Froese, Michelle (1 November 2017). "Empire District Electric proposes 800 MW of new wind power". Wind Power Engineering & Development. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  24. McNary, James (8 November 2017). "Empire District hopes answer is blowing in the wind". Lawrence County Record. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  25. Chen, Eli (21 May 2018). "Ameren plans to build a large network of wind turbines in northeast Missouri". St Louis Public Radio. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  26. Shaw, Abigail E. "Wind farm planned for northwest Boone County". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
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