Liberty Utilities – Empire District has Contracted with Tenaska and Steelhead Americas to Bring Projects to Fruition
JOPLIN, Mo. – Development of the North Fork Ridge and Kings Point wind farms north and east of Joplin is progressing, with construction anticipated to begin in fall 2019, pending final regulatory approval.
Liberty Utilities – Empire District has contracted with energy company Tenaska and developer Steelhead Americas to complete the projects. Tenaska has been contracted to manage onsite development and construction services for the wind farms, which will have approximately 300 megawatts (MW) of combined capacity. Tenaska, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is a leading independent power producer that has developed more than 10,000 MW of natural gas-fueled and renewable power generation and currently manages operations of approximately 8,000 MW. Its affiliates are industry-leading marketers of natural gas and electric power. Steelhead Americas is the North American development arm of Vestas, the world’s largest wind energy company.
“Tenaska and Steelhead are trusted names in the energy industry,” said Blake Mertens, Liberty Utilities’ vice president of operations – electric. “We are excited to work with them to get these wind farms into operation, which will ultimately save our customers money per our Customer Savings Plan.”
North Fork Ridge and Kings Point are located in portions of Barton, Dade, Jasper and Lawrence counties. The wind farms, which are anticipated to utilize approximately 140 turbines combined, are targeted to be operational in late 2020.
Local Development Activities
Field work to support the development of North Fork Ridge and Kings Point is ramping up. This includes surveying, geotechnical analysis of soil conditions, bird studies and environmental surveys for waters, wetlands and cultural artifacts. These types of activities, which will occur periodically until the start of construction, will be conducted on land leased to the wind farms. Landowners are notified in advance of any field work conducted on their property, and all field work is performed in accordance with the applicable lease agreements.
Tenaska uses subcontractors to perform many of these field activities. Personnel wear identifiable gear, and their vehicles are marked. Tenaska strives to maintain good relationships with landowners, and subcontractors are asked to conduct themselves in a professional manner.
“We are excited by the steady progress on North Fork Ridge and Kings Point,” said Tenaska Vice President Scott Seier, who is managing development of the projects. “There is still quite a bit of work to do, but we look forward to the start of construction later this year.”
To help ensure landowners and other members of the community have access to information about the projects, Tenaska has a local office at 1200 Grand Ave. in Carthage. The office is staffed 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays or by appointment by calling 417-423-8288.
