Columbia taps into wind energy

By Grace Clarke

Published Sept. 11, 2007

Last Wednesday marked the first day of energy production at Missouri's first wind farm. And the energy is being used to help power Columbia.

"We're exploring lots of new conservation programs to seek out sustainable sources of power," Mayor Darwin Hindman said. "And wind power is an obvious choice."

The Wind Energy Agreement, started in St. Louis by Tom Carnahan, promises to assist energy production in Columbia. On its Wednesday debut, the Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm produced eight megawatt-hours of energy, which composed two-tenths of a percent of the 4,000 megawatt-hours of energy used in Columbia.

"We could receive up to a maximum of 6.3 megawatts," Columbia Water and Light spokeswoman Connie Kacprowicz said. "We're estimating that it will probably end up being 2 percent of electric sales."

One drawback to using wind as power is the variability of wind strength.

"The winds will blow some days, and other day they won't," Associated Electric Cooperative spokeswoman Nancy Southworth said. AEC supplies daily wind power to Columbia.

Hindman said he supports the use of wind power despite the seasonal drawbacks.

"Wind power doesn't exactly match peak demand times," Hindman said. "Summer is when we need the most, and the wind blows the least. Winter is when you don't need quite as much, and the wind blows hardest. Nevertheless, when we're using wind power, we don't rely on fuels that would be adding to the global warming."

Citizens should not expect a cheaper electric bill, Hindman said. In fact, wind power costs up to 3 percent more than electricity generated by coal.

"We do have a price cap that permits cost from exceeding that 3 percent," Kacprowicz said of the estimated $60 million project.

The facility, constructed in King City in northwest Missouri, costs over $1 million and was funded by John Deere Credit at the urging of Tom Carnahan's Wind Capital Group. The site was under construction from June to November of 2006.

Carnahan, a former lawyer, founded the Wind Capital Group in St. Louis just as voters in Columbia passed an ordinance at the November 2004 polls requiring the city to purchase increasing levels of energy from renewable resources.

After funding was secured, Wind Capital Group worked with AEC to sell the output of the harvested wind energy. AEC's Board of Directors closely examined the economics of wind power.

"Our board represents 57 local co-ops," Southworth said. "After looking at it, we felt we could make a deal. It's a win-win situation for everyone."

Columbia is purchasing the energy from AEC for 20 years, Kacprowicz said.

All Columbia wind energy transactions go though the Midwest Independent System Operator. AEC provides the daily estimates of wind output. MISO then regulates the energy, evaluates the load of power transmitted and gives the go-ahead to transmission lines.

But unforeseen transmission problem arose when the lines had difficulty transmitting energy through Kansas City.

"Right now, we're seeing a lot of energy being transmitted across those lines," Kacprowicz said. "They can really get overloaded."

Because transmission lines have been over capacity and have resulted in the overloading near Kansas City, MISO provides the energy on a non-guaranteed basis. Columbia will be given a firm or guaranteed contract Feb. 1 of next year.