Editor’s Note: This is the second of an ongoing series of press releases about the West Plains Solar Farm project, which will officially kick off March 12 with a groundbreaking ceremony.
As the future holder of the largest municipal-owned solar farm in the state of Missouri, West Plains is positioning itself now and in the future as a leader in renewable energy.
While the primary goal is to expand its energy resources while lowering costs for West Plains utility customers, the new solar farm will also provide more than just power. It will also provide tremendous environmental benefits to a community that prides itself on its resourcefulness and natural beauty. It also moves the City closer to becoming one of the few carbon-free cities in Missouri.
“In addition to providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy, the solar farm and the surrounding area will provide an aesthetically pleasing landscape,” said Public Works Director Jeff Hanshaw, who is working on the project in conjunction with Evergy out of Kansas City. “We are truly excited about the impact it will have on our community.”
The West Plains Solar Farm will be located on 40 acres of property owned by the City of West Plains near its landfill north of town off County Road 1770. In anticipation of the project, City crews have cleared out timber surrounding the site, and a groundbreaking ceremony March 12 will officially kick off construction of what will be a “maintenance free” solar array.
Environmental Impact
Evergy crews will do more than just install the West Plains solar array. In fact, they will use their expertise to also plant low-growing, high-diversity seed mix that is designed primarily to benefit pollinators like moths, Monarch butterflies, and bees at the site. The habitat will also prove desirable for other wildlife such as birds, specifically Bobwhite quail and grassland species.
“With the construction of the solar array and the establishment of native plants and grasses, Evergy and the City of West Plains will take land that was once used as a landfill and create a renewable energy site and a healthy, vibrant habitat for pollinators and wildlife,” said Eric Johnson, Evergy’s Senior Environmental Consultant of the Wildlife and Avian Program.
Johnson pointed out that native plants’ roots travel deeper in the soil compared to non-native grasses that are typically planted as lawns. This will allow rainfall to infiltrate deeper into soils and reduces runoff from the site.
The end result, said Johnson, will be a solar farm that will not only provide clean, affordable energy to the community for the next 30 years, but also the establishment of a site plush with native grasses, wildflowers that attracts wildlife, and provides many environmental benefits.
Evergy and the City of West Plains will also work with local schools and Missouri State University-West Plains to provide opportunities for students interested in renewable-energy technology, business application classes, environmental impact studies, and pre-and-post construction of the site.
The West Plains Solar Farm
In the first year of production, the West Plains Solar Farm is expected to generate 10.8 Megawatts of electricity, which is enough energy to power over 1,945 homes. This also equates to saving over 1.3 million gallons of gasoline and recycling 3,908 tons of waste to avoid greenhouse gas emissions.
Evergy will bear the cost of the project for the first eight years. During that time, the City would enter into a 30-year fixed Power Purchase Agreement with Evergy that includes a buyout option in the eighth year of the agreement.
