Wind Turbines for Municipal Use

2 100 kW wind turbines now power the western Kansas town of Jetmore. Jetmore is the first town in the state to own its towers and turbines to produce wind energy. Various state schools have wind turbines, but Jetmore is the first official town in Kansas to have its own wind turbines and towers.

For more than 30 years, the town’s power plant has been used only for a backup power source, said Ray Burns, city superintendent. Jetmore used to receive its electricity from Midwest Energy. It will continue that arrangement but when the two wind chargers are operating, they will feed directly into the city’s grid, producing 12 percent of the town’s energy.

As the cost of electricity increases, the community believes it will save money by producing its own power, even if it is only 12 percent of its electricity. 933 resident’s 29 miles north of Dodge City now benefit from its two refurbished wind turbines.