Spirit AeroSytems converts to renewable energy in Kansas

Aircraft manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems based in Wichita, Kansas but with operations in Oklahoma announced it’s converted to 100% wind-generated electricity at the company headquarters in southern Kansas.

The company said it’s the latest move to accelerate its transformation to more environmentally responsible operations.

“Harnessing a local renewable and reliable resource dramatically reduces our corporate carbon emissions, a key priority for Spirit in achieving our sustainability goals,” said Tom Gentile, president and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems. “Improving both our environmental and operational performance builds competitiveness in our business, which means we can continue to support our local economy and secure our long-term future in Kansas.”

The Spirit Wichita facility employs approximately 10,000 people and has 12 million square feet of manufacturing capacity where it builds fuselages and other aerostructures for Boeing, Airbus, and Defense contractors. The conversion to Wichita’s facility increases Spirit’s global renewable electricity percentage to 75%.

“Renewable energy is a key component of our strategy to achieve a 30% absolute reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions from our operations by 2030,” said Chris Ladwig, senior director & sustainability leader at Spirit AeroSystems. “Transitioning our Wichita site to 100% wind electricity greatly accelerates our ability to meet this target.”

Spirit Wichita’s wind power will come from 62 wind turbines that are part of a wind farm called Flat Ridge 3 in Kingman County that is owned and operated by a subsidiary of American Electric Power. Spirit then has an agreement with Evergy which enables the company to purchase clean electricity at a competitive cost via a long-term contract, significantly increasing the operational efficiency of its largest global site.

“Abundant wind energy resources in our area provide great opportunities to serve Evergy customers with affordable, clean energy,” said Chuck Caisley, Evergy senior vice president and chief customer officer. “Wind energy development also brings economic investment and jobs to communities near wind farms.”

“Our Flat Ridge 3 wind project adds more clean energy to AEP’s nearly 1,600 megawatt portfolio of competitive wind, solar and storage assets,” said Greg Hall, executive vice president of Energy Supply, AEP. “This project not only supplies renewable energy to Evergy customers, but also provides valuable economic benefits, such as tax revenue and jobs, to communities in Kingman County.”