Wamego, KS— Bluestem Electric Cooperative dedicated two solar farms, a 1 megawatt (MW) near St. George and a 750 kilowatt (KW) near Leonardville with the flip of a switch today. These solar farms are designed to mitigate the cooperative’s peak demand and harvest cost effective natural resources.
Originally announced in November of 2020, Bluestem Electric Cooperative’s two solar farms were linked to the grid by Today’s Power Inc. (TPI) of North Little Rock, Arkansas in coordination with a Bluestem Electric Trustee Board Meeting. Alongside 11 partnering Kansas Cooperatives, Bluestem joined the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program, a TPI solar power services agreement program that ensures low-cost renewable energy.
Bluestem Electric Cooperative’s solar farms provide greater control over monitoring, load-balancing, and rate stabilization for its members. Along with other participating Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Bluestem Electric negotiated competitive long-term pricing for the 25-year or more term. “Working with Bluestem Electric on this project is an excellent way for us to assist the cooperative in improving the quality of life for their members by providing reliable, sustainable energy sources,” said TPI President Derek Dyson. Bluestem General Manager, Michael Morton said “This is exciting for Bluestem and important to our members. Like those we serve, Bluestem wants to be good stewards of our resources. These solar projects will help us provide affordable power for our members. It is important to note that every kilowatt-watt hour produced will be used by the members of Bluestem. Our members work hard for their money and deserves some of the financial security that these solar projects will provide. Bluestem is here not just to sell electricity, but to promote and enhance the quality of life here in rural Kansas.”
Today’s Power, Inc. (TPI) was chosen by the 12 Kansas cooperatives in 2020 to provide solar-produced power for cooperative use. Work on the two solar farms began in early 2021 and was completed in June 2021, after all regulatory and engineering approvals were issued. For the length of the 25-year-or-more agreement, the cooperative will purchase electricity generated by the solar farms at a fixed-low cost. TPI owns and operates 100% of the solar array.
