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A long-term wind energy project at Fort Hays State University finally becomes reality.
Friday FHSU president Dr. Edward Hammond said a contract was signed and work will begin soon to install two wind turbines on campus. Officials say the system will go into operation by June of 2013.
The project has been in the works for six years. The university says the turbines will mean energy savings between $600,000 to $1 million a year. The final cost of the project is estimated at $8.8 million to $9 million.
The turbines, blades and towers will be produced by the company Vestas at its facilities in Colorado. FHSU says this will be the sixth project in Kansas to use Vestas turbines. The university is working with PNE Corporation based out of Washington for installation of the turbines.
The wind turbines will be about 400 feet high and built on land leased from a private individual. They will be outside the three-mile limit of the city of Hays because of a city ordinance banning wind turbines that tall inside the city limits.
The project will also include 3.5 miles of underground transmission lines from the turbines to the FHSU campus. Fiber lines will be buried along with the transmission lines allowing staff to monitor and control the turbines.
Along with saving energy on campus, FHSU says it will also launch an education program related to renewable energy. President Hammond says that program is still in the planning stages.