Apex Clean Energy, a company that develops, constructs and operates utility-scale wind and solar power facilities across North America, says WEC Energy Group and Invenergy have purchased the Jayhawk Wind project, including a renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) with Facebook.
The 190 MW project, located in Crawford and Bourbon counties, Kan., will help support the tech company’s operations in the region.
Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives Inc. (IEA), an infrastructure construction company with specialized energy and heavy civil expertise, has been awarded the Jayhawk Wind Farm contract valued at approximately $70 million. Apex awarded this project to IEA Constructors, a subsidiary of IEA that manages utility-scale renewable energy and heavy civil infrastructure projects. Work on the wind farm began in February and is expected to be completed in late Q4. IEA will self-perform all of the engineering, procurement and construction needs of the project, including the construction of project roads, the improvement of existing public roads near the construction site, the installation of collection systems, foundations and substations, and the erection of 70 GE wind turbine generators.
“Establishing and growing strong relationships with clean energy investors and power purchasers is fundamental to Apex’s core mission and to our ability to bring renewable energy assets like Jayhawk Wind to life,” says Mark Goodwin, president and CEO of Apex Clean Energy. “Because of these agreements with Facebook – a valued Apex customer – and new partners WEC Energy Group and Invenergy, Jayhawk Wind will advance the new energy economy in Kansas and generate significant long-term economic benefits for the local community.”
The deal marks Apex’s fourth renewable transaction with Facebook, following a 61.6 MW PPA with Altavista Solar, a 200 MW PPA with Aviator Wind East, part of the largest single-phase, single-site wind project in the U.S. and a 175 MW PPA with Lincoln Land Wind in Illinois.
Jayhawk Wind will help Facebook meet its goal to support its operations in the region with 100% renewable energy and reach net-zero carbon emissions. The tech company stepped in as the project’s offtaker after a previous PPA was mutually dissolved. The purchase of the Jayhawk Wind project is part of WEC Energy Group’s $16 billion ESG Progress Plan – the largest five-year capital plan in the company’s history.
The Jayhawk facility, which breaks ground this week and is expected to be operational later this year, will consist of 70 GE wind turbines totaling an installed capacity of more than 190 MW. The project will provide significant economic benefits for the local and state economies – including the creation of more than 115 construction jobs and 7 long-term operations positions – and will generate over $20 million in landowner payments and $27.2 million in tax revenue.
Kansas is an ideal place for wind construction. According to the American Clean Power Association, the state ranks fifth in the nation for wind power capacity and second for wind energy as a share of total electricity generation, with over 6,500 MW of operating capacity today and 43% of electricity from wind power.
Photo: Apex Clean Energy’s Projects web page
