Smoky Hills Wind Farm
Encyclopedia
The Smoky Hills Wind Farm (Phase I) is a 100.8 megawatt (MW) wind farm
in Lincoln
and Ellsworth Counties
, 140 miles west of Topeka in Kansas
, north of Ellsworth
. The farm is operated by Enel Green Power
. Highway K-14
and Interstate 70
pass through parts of the wind farm, with clear views of many of the wind turbines. The project uses 56 Vestas
V80 1.8 MW wind turbines and produces enough electricity to power some 37,000 average Kansas homes annually. , phase II is under construction with 99 GE 1.5 MW wind turbine
s for an additional 148.5 MW, to bring the total nameplate capacity
to 249.3 MW.
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
in Lincoln
Lincoln County, Kansas
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,241...
and Ellsworth Counties
Ellsworth County, Kansas
Ellsworth County is a county located in Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 6,497. Its county seat and most populous city is Ellsworth.-19th century:...
, 140 miles west of Topeka in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, north of Ellsworth
Ellsworth, Kansas
Ellsworth is a city in and the county seat of Ellsworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,120.-19th century:...
. The farm is operated by Enel Green Power
Enel Green Power
Enel Green Power S.p.A. is an Italian multinational renewable energy corporation, headquartered in Rome. The company was formed as a subsidiary of the power generation firm Enel in December 2008, grouping its global renewable energy interests...
. Highway K-14
K-14 (Kansas highway)
K-14 is a north–south state highway which runs most of the length of the U.S. state of Kansas. The highway runs through the central part of the state.-Route description:...
and Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
pass through parts of the wind farm, with clear views of many of the wind turbines. The project uses 56 Vestas
Vestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world, but due to very rapid growth of its competitors, its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009...
V80 1.8 MW wind turbines and produces enough electricity to power some 37,000 average Kansas homes annually. , phase II is under construction with 99 GE 1.5 MW wind turbine
GE 1.5 MW wind turbine
GE Wind Energy is a branch of GE Energy, a subsidiary of General Electric. The company manufactures and sells wind turbines to the international market. In 2009, GE was the second largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world.-History:...
s for an additional 148.5 MW, to bring the total nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...
to 249.3 MW.