Wind Farm Coming To Ford County

A Kansas electric utility provider has contracted with a company to construct a 280-megawatt wind farm for Ford County.

Westar Energy contracted the more than $400 million Western Plains Wind Farm with Infinity Wind Power of Santa Barbara, California.

Construction is expected to start in late spring or early summer. Infinity will build the farm and then turn it over to Westar. Officials hope to have the farm completed by the end of 2016 or by early 2017.

According to Westar, the Ford County project will include land lease royalties paid to local landowners and payments to local and county government of about $75 million during the first 20 years of operation.

Utility officials say the project will create more than 200 construction jobs.