A4 Sunday, May 28, 2017
From Page One
Photos by Katy Kildee/Staff photographer
Kevin Fitzgerald of Overland Park, left, assists Chris
Duroy of Oklahoma, right, with his bib before they
compete in the Men’s 4/5 race during the Salt City
Criterium bike races on Saturday in Hutchinson. Right:
Cyclists prepare to compete in the Men’s 4/5 race. To
see more photos, visit hutchnews.com/multimedia.
Farmers
• From Page A1
“The farmers always
have the wind to deal with,”
Thomas said. “Sometimes
the wind has been our en-
emy out here.”
So it wasn’t a surprise
when a man came by the
farm a few decades ago,
wanting to lease his ground
for wind energy. He told
Thomas about the wind
towers – the first in the
state – that would be built in
Gray County.
“My thought was, ‘There
is a lot of wind up there,’ ”
Thomas said. “If they could
turn that into something
good for this area, that was
great. But it had to be good.”
While a few naysayers
tried to tell him the tur-
bines would blow the clouds
away and prevent what little
rain falls on the semi-arid
southwest Kansas land-
scape, Thomas and his wife,
Louise, watched as crews
constructed the 170-turbine
Gray County Wind Energy,
which began generating
power in December 2001.
Sixteen years later,
Thomas has only seen the
good – which includes a nice
supplemental income to the
farming operation, as well
as the county’s economy.
Thomas himself has more
than 20 turbines – 20 sitting
on a mile section of ground.
However, he wouldn’t dis-
close how many he has on
his land in all or how much
he was getting paid.
It didn’t take much out of
production − one of his only
few concerns when the en-
ergy man talked with him.
The turbines and the roads
on that 640-acre parcel only
amount to a little more than
two acres in all.
Thomas is retired now,
but his son-in-law, Jeff Reed,
and his grandsons Ryan and
Alan, are farming around
the turbines these days.
“It has been an addition
to our farm, and a positive
addition,” Thomas said.
Today, wind farms stretch
across Kansas, bringing an
economic windfall to the
farmers and counties that
have them. In 2016, land-
owners received more than
$15 million in payments,
according to John Hensley,
with the American Wind
Energy Association.
Every agreement is
different and individually
negotiated. Prices vary by
location, the size of tur-
bines and competition for
leases. Generally, however,
the average is $3,000 to
$6,000 per megawatt, said
Kimberly Svaty, Kansas
public policy director with
The Wind Coalition.
Seeing Montezuma’s suc-
cess, many struggling rural
communities began to look
at wind as a potential savior.
That included in Wichita
County, where farmers and
town leaders gathered in
November 2002 in a packed
room at the fairgrounds,
listening to two wind
developers talk about the
county’s potential.
A predominantly agricul-
tural community with 2,500
residents at the time and
with no oil- or gas-produc-
ing wells, Wichita County
Economic Development
officials were looking for a
way to boost the economy.
Then-economic devel-
opment director Sharla
Krenzel reached out to 16
wind-farm developers in
2001. Only two responded.
It would take seven years,
however, before a wind farm
developed and started gen-
erating power in Wichita
County, near the town of
Marienthal.
Today, the farm generates
some employment – five
technicians and one Westar
employee.
But a Westar report from
2009 showed the utility
company paid more than
$500,000 annually in royalty
payments and more than
$250,000 in payment in lieu
of taxes to the county.
“Last year, it was more
than $270,000,” said Diane
Kirk, the new economic de-
velopment director, adding
that is based on the power
generated.
“It’s been great to have
the wind farm here,” said
Kirk. “It is good for the
farmers, it is good for the
community.”
She said the community
even started a wind festival
called “Wind and Wheel.”
Moreover, the income helps
in the struggling farm
economy.
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The Hutchinson News
Earl Smith would agree
to that. After a late spring
snowstorm that left 18
inches of snow, he is
worried the wheat crop
might only produce half the
harvest he was expecting.
Moreover, prices are low.
The 60-year-old
fourth-generation farmer
has seen plenty of ups and
down in farming. Since
2009, the five wind turbines
have helped supplement
the farm income. Moreover,
watching the payments
come in, calculated by the
energy the wind produces,
shows the wind doesn’t
change much in western
Kansas. His payments don’t
vary much over the years.
He was one of the farm-
ers in the meeting 15 years
ago, he said.
“Anything we can get to
stimulate the county is a
wonderful thing with our
Cyclists “It was really cool.
They (blocked) off
payout for a USA Cycling
event in Kansas.
This year’s top sponsor
• From Page A1 the roads. It was a
is the dealership Midwest
Superstore. Other sponsors
and then Isaac. All three ride lot of fun.” are Hutchinson Regional
Medical Center, Hutchinson
for Bentonville Racing. Zeke Vanderhoff, cyclist Community Foundation and
The Vanderhoffs said Harley Bicycles.
they trade off beating each the same number for today, Hutch Rec and the
other at different races. Isaac Fairbanks said, adding the Midwest Masters Cycling
didn’t want to use the excuse number of people register- Team also make the event a
that this loss was because he ing “day of ” should bring the reality.
rode in another division just total turnout for both days to In-person registration for
before the race. 300 riders. today starts at 7:30 a.m. The
He conceded Zeke won fair Fairbanks also credited cost is $35. Races start at
and square. the large turnout to sponsors 9 a.m. The junior class is free
“It was really cool. They allowing the second highest and begins at 10:20 a.m.
(blocked) off the roads,” Zeke
said. “It was a lot of fun.”
The third annual event
had riders racing around a
nine-tenths-of-a-mile loop for
30-, 40- or 50-minutes races,
depending on the division.
Approximately 75 people
registered in advance for
the Saturday race and about
shrinking population,” he
said.
He lives in the heart of
the wind farm with tur-
bines to the north and the
south of his home.
“I used to cuss the wind a
little bit,” Smith admitted.
“Now I tolerate it a little
more because we get an
income off of it.”
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