Wichita-based Textron Aviation has signed a 20-year agreement with utility provider Evergy to receive 55 megawatts of power for its two Kansas plants in Independence and Wichita from a new wind farm under construction in Manhattan, Kansas. The Soldier Creek Wind Farm will generate 300 MW and is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
A tariff passed in 2018 by the utility regulator Kansas Corporation Commission called Direct Renewable Participation Service allows large commercial and industrial customers to buy wind energy at rates lower than Evergy’s current offerings. For Textron Aviation, the rate will decrease from 2.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 1.8 cents per kWh, a nearly 22 percent savings.
“The purchase of renewable energy demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable future for our employees, communities, and customers,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of operations Brad White. “Textron Aviation claims nearly 20 percent of the zero-emission and renewable energy generated by the Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center.”