Wind Energy

Many believe that the word, Kansas, named for the Kansa Native American tribe, means "People of the South Wind." It's an appropriate name as wind has played a vital role in the development of our state.

As people worldwide turn to alternate energy resources to replace fossil fuels the "People of the South Wind" have also set their sails... or rather wind turbines... toward this powerful force as a means of harnessing one of the great symbols of our state and converting it into energy that will light our cities and drive us into the 21st century.

Below are some online resources on the development and use of wind energy in Kansas:

Community Wind
http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/energy/comm_wind/index.htm
(Kansas State Corporation Commission, 2006 workshop)

Fact Sheet on Wind Power in Kansas
http://kansas.sierraclub.org/Wind/WindPower-FactSheet.htm
(Sierra Club)

Impact of Wind Farms on Public Health
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/ksleg/KLRD/Publications/46082.pdf
(Kansas Legislative Research Department, 2007)

Kansas Annual Average Wind Power Map
http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap3/3-42m.html
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Kansas Energy Plans (2007 and 2008)
http://kec.kansas.gov/energy_plan.htm
(Kansas Energy Council)

Kansas Wind Activities
http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/astate_template.asp?stateab=ks
(U.S. Dept of Energy)

Kansas Wind Energy
http://www.kansasenergy.org/wind.htm
(Kansas Energy Information Network)

Kansas Wind Energy Development
http://www.kfb.org/blog/irvinwind1.htm
(Advice from the Kansas Farm Bureau for landowners approached by wind energy companies)

Kansas Wind Energy Resource Map and Electric Transmission
http://kec.kansas.gov/chart_book/Chapter6/02_KSWindEnergyElectricTransMap.pdf
(Kansas Energy Council)

Kansas Wind Working Group
http://wwg.kansas.gov/
(Established by Governor Sebelius, January 7, 2008)

Small Wind in Kansas
http://www.awea.org/smallwind/kansas.html
(American Wind Energy Association)

Ten FAQs About Wind Energy
http://www.nrel.gov/wind/systemsintegration/pdfs/milligan_wind_integration_faqs.pdf
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Wind and Prairie Task Force
http://kec.kansas.gov/wptf/sercc_wptf.htm
(Established by Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Final report delivered June 7, 2004)

Wind Energy
http://www.ksda.gov/renewable_energy/content/193
(Kansas Dept. of Agriculture)

Wind Energy Projects
http://www.kansasruralcenter.org/wind.html
(Kansas Rural Center)

Wind Powering America: Kansas
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/28085.pdf
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Wind Shear Characteristics at Central Plains Tall Towers
http://www.nrel.gov/wind/pdfs/40019.pdf
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Information provided by State Library of Kansas staff. Contact us with your questions at: http://www.kslib.info/ask.html