• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Renewable energy focus of October tour By Amy G. Hadachek to Premium Feeders, a 640- a large volume of cattle from Roping the Kansas wind acre feedlot which has been southern states. with 14,000-pound blades in operation since the 1950s. The tour day concluded atop the prominent 300-foot The feedlot houses feeder with a visit to the $340 mil- tall wind turbines, was just calves for 120 days. Calves lion Meridian Way Wind one of the added-market re- gain an average of 400 Farm, featuring 67 Vestas sources that the public en- pounds, largely from the wet V90 3.0 MW turbines, which joyed viewing during a Re- distillers grain, a by-product produce a total of 201 mega- newable Energy tour in early from its next-door neighbor, watts of power for Westar October. In addition to see- NESIKA. Energy of Topeka, and Em- ing the 67-turbine Meridian Two new developments at pire District Electric of Jop- Way Wind Farm south of the feedlot are a water sys- lin, Mo. This delivers the Concordia on October 5th, tem and a feeding monitor- power to 60,000 Kansas folks also toured two other ing system. homes. The Meridian Way Renewable Energy facilities “It costs us $12,000 a Wind Farm has produced 20 in north central Kansas. The month just to heat water,” so permanent full-time jobs, in- tri-market tour included a we’re going to use a geo-ther- cluding wind turbine techni- visit to NESIKA Energy in mal method of heating out of cians who maintain the tur- Scandia followed by Premi- the ground, and we’ll keep a bines. Several of the techni- um Feeders, which is a trickle of water flowing,” said cians are graduates of the 25,000-capacity feedlot liter- Tony Strnad, a representative wind energy program at ally right across the street at Premium Feeders. Water is nearby Cloud County Com- from the NESIKA ethanol indeed a major commodity at munity College. The tur- plant. the feedlot. The tour group bines are built by Vestas, The day-long experience Dustin Reynolds, center in Dallas Cowboys hard hat, explains operations at the learned that its used not only whose international head- at the agricultural sites in NESIKA Energy ethanol plant in Scandia to attendees of the renewable energy tour. for cooling the cattle and wa- quarters is in Denmark. EDP Republic and Cloud counties tering the pens in the hot Renewables manages the was organized by the Kansas ton were fascinated by the trucks, enabling them to un- ganized by Nick Levendof- summer, but the water that wind farm. Farmers Union. “It was in- tour. Johnson, now retired, load a truck in about seven sky, special projects coordi- Premium Feeders gets from The minimum wind speed teresting to learn the struc- built a grain elevator. minutes. NESIKA has at- nator at Kansas Farmers NESIKA is used for the cat- needed to begin turning a ture and design of the Folks learned that NESI- tracted international atten- Union. “It’s wonderful that tle’s drinking water (known turbine is five miles an hour. ethanol plant, and how the KA has the capacity to pro- tion. Two energy specialists we have so many opportuni- as refuge water.) Also, water However, 20 to 25 mph is pipes and all the conduit duce 10 million gallons of from Canada’s Growing ties to market the grain in from the lagoon irrigates considered ideal. were uniformly spaced,” ethanol a year from 3.6 mil- Power Hairy Hill bioFuels this area, where you can uti- crops. Those in attendance said Dewayne Kalivoda, a lion bushels of grain. production facility in Vegre- lize the co-product of wet The new feeding monitor- viewed an intriguing video farmer in Cuba, adding, “I think the majority of ville in the province of Al- distillers grain, and then re- ing system transmits infor- of the turbines’ construction. “Dustin (Reynolds, the tour gas stations in Kansas use a berta also visited NESIKA cycle the water for the feed- mation about how many “The turbines work by leader and shift supervisor,) 10% blend of ethanol,” Sam Friday to learn ideas for its lot,” said Levendofsky, pounds of feed have been converting the kinetic energy really knew his product.” Sacco, general manager of start-up plant. “We’re here who’s running for the State given to cattle which eat of the wind into electrical Kalivoda also appreciated NESIKA, told the gathering. to grasp all the knowledge House district 106. Levend- three times a day at the feed- power,” Justin Steinbrock, the opportunity to visit the “But occasionally you’ll see we can,” said Robert Marsh, ofsky’s political opponent, lot. The facility provides cus- Meridian Way Operations feedlot. some gas stations using 85% the lead supervisor at the incumbent State Senator tom-feeding for producers, Manager explained, during “The feedlot feeds their ethanol in Salina, since Sali- Canadian facility. “And, our Sharon Schwartz, also joined and offers individuals the op- the presentation. “Turbines cattle three times a day, and na sells E-85.” New devel- plant runs boilers off me- the Renewable Energy Tour. portunity to come in and pur- are connected electrically we feed ours twice, so we’re opments at NESIKA include thane gas, which NESIKA is “I’m very interested in chase cattle as an investment. by underground collection not much different from the the current installation of a now considering.” seeing the businesses that The drought has had an im- lines, which meet at the sub- feedlot in Scandia,” noted corn steam flaker, which “This is a nice opportuni- provide the farm base for our pact on the feedlot. Although station on a transformer. An Kalivoda. Sacco said adds 8% to 12% ty for people to learn about economy in north central the number of calves was overhead transmission line The tour group was com- nutritional value to corn fed renewable energy, and the Kansas,” said Schwartz, who down this past summer, the connects the wind farm to prised largely of farmers, not to cattle, by propelling steam usage of grain and fuel af- lives on a farm near Wash- cattle did stay longer at the the electricity grid.” only from north central into the corn. fecting the prices we get as ington. feedlot. Additionally, instead Kansas has been leading Kansas but from as far away NESIKA also recently in- farmers,” said Donn Teske, Next, the tour group trav- of the calves typically arriv- the nation in wind farm con- as Seneca. Ric Johnson and stalled a bunker and high- president of Kansas Farmers eled down the dirt road and ing only from Missouri, Pre- struction for this calendar his wife Louise of Washing- speed unloader for grain Union. The tours were or- around the corner in Scandia mium Feeders also received year. Brownback, 500+ attendees discuss Kansas’ water future at Governor’s Conference More than 500 attendees ence on the Future of Water policy and developments of eral of the U.S. Army Corps shown us our vulnerabilities this year’s conference. We with diverse water interests in Kansas. The main confer- water issues in Kansas. of Engineers. Sen. Pat Rob- both from a water quantity must continue our efforts to joined Kansas Gov. Sam ence topics included: Speakers included Brown- erts also shared remarks. The and quality standpoint,” said improve the quality of Kan- Brownback last Tuesday at • New ideas to conserve back, Dr. William Blom- afternoon session consisted Tracy Streeter, Kansas Water sas water and we need every- the first Governor’s Confer- and extend the Ogallala quist, author of Embracing of panel presentations with a Office director. “The high one who is here today as Aquifer Watershed Politics and Lieu- town hall format. level of interest in Kansas’ well as all of Kansas’ citi- • An evaluation of tenant General Thomas P. “The drought conditions water resources is indicative zens’ help to place this vital Kansas’ water infrastructure Bostick, Commanding Gen- of the past two years have with the large attendance at resource as a top priority for • Opportunities to im- our future.” prove Kansas’ water quality Day two highlighted the • Meeting water demands latest research developments for energy and agriculture of water issues in Kansas, in- “No matter what area of volving many researchers, the state you live in, you geologists and water plan- have been and still are af- ners for the state. Speakers fected by the devastating included Dr. Frank Ward of drought we are facing. We New Mexico State Universi- are grateful for those before ty and Dr. Bill Golden, Kan- us who planned for our sas State University, who state’s future water needs by spoke on the economics and establishing a system for Dr. Bill Golden, KSU Department of Agriculture Economics, spoke to a standing- value of our water resources. reservoir operations and room-only audience at the first Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in The Governor’s Confer- water management,” Brown- ence on the Future of Water back said. “We are here to Kansas October 30-31 in Manhattan. Dr. Golden said that with the Governor’s dual in Kansas was co-sponsored discuss our current situation goals of conserving and extending the Ogallala Aquifer and growing the economy of by the Kansas Water Office and consider options to help western Kansas, it is necessary to place a dollar value on water from the Ogallala. (KWO) and K-State/Kansas meet our citizen’s water Using a graph that illustrated the benefits of irrigation on yield, Golden showed that Water Resources Institute.

Load more

  16

Copy Link