An IBERDROLA RENEWABLES Wind Power Project

Wind Energy As of January 2008, installed capacity of wind power

in the United States is 16,818 megawatts (MW) of

electricity, producing an estimated 48 billion kilowatt

hours annually or enough electricity to serve 4.5

million American homes. This 100 percent clean

source of electricity will displace approximately

23 million tons of carbon dioxide – the leading

greenhouse gas – each year, which would otherwise

be emitted by coal, natural gas, oil and other

traditional energy sources. Over the last few years,

wind power has been the world’s fastest-growing

energy source, with an annual average growth rate

of over 35.7 percent. With continued government

encouragement to accelerate its development, this

increasingly competitive source of energy could

provide at least six percent of the nation’s electricity

by 2020 and revitalize farms and rural communities –

without consuming any natural resource or emitting

pollution or greenhouse gases. Today, Denmark and

many regions of Germany and Spain meet 10 and 25

percent of their electricity needs from wind energy.

By contrast, wind power supplies approximately

one percent of America’s current electricity needs.

America’s wind resource is vast and could contribute

toward a cleaner and more sustainable energy mix.

Forecasts for wind power continue to be favorable

with up to 240 total installed gigawatts (GW)

predicted worldwide by 2012. (Sources: iberdrola renewables, American Wind Energy Association, and

Global Wind Energy Council)

Elk River Turbine Trivia Turbine Height: 389 feet – taller than the length

of a football field!

Turbine Weight: Approximately 235 tons –

60 tons more than a blue whale.

Turbine Count: 100 GE Energy 1.5 MW turbines

on 7,907 acres.

The foundation of one wind turbine is made up

of 27 truckloads of concrete.

Each wind turbine has a rotor diameter of 252 ft.,

15 percent longer than the wingspan of a Boeing

747-400 jumbo jet.

One megawatt of wind power produces enough

electricity to serve 250 to 300 average homes.

How does it work? The rotor blades of a wind turbine work somewhat

like the wings of an airplane. As air passes over

the specially designed blades, “lift” is created. This

lift, in turn, sends the blades spinning in a circular

motion, which drives an electric generator. When

winds reach about eight miles per hour, the rotor is

engaged, and the wind turbine begins

producing power.

A self-guided tour of The Elk River Wind Project

Area Attractions

Power up with the wind! It’s only natural that Kansas, the state with the

third most robust wind resource in the nation,

is home to the Elk River Wind Power Project,

iberdrola renewables’ 150-megawatt (MW) wind

energy production site. Although the project spans

7,907 acres, the actual turbine footprint occupies

only about two percent of the land, allowing

four local landowners to use the remaining land

for cattle ranching and farming operations. The

project supports the local economy as well. Up

to 200 jobs were created during the peak of

Elk River’s construction. Elk River went into

operation in December 2005.

The energy

generated by Elk

River is sold to the

Empire District

Electric Company.

Empire anticipates

it will purchase

approximately

550,000 megawatt

hours of energy

annually from the project, enough energy to meet

the needs of about 42,000 homes each year in

southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, northeast

Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas.

Power on the Prairie The completion of the Elk River project made

Kansas one of the top 10 states for renewable

energy generation capacity, according to

Jeff Schlichting, president of HMH Energy

Resources, Inc.

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Latham Ellet Museum Housed in a one-room schoolhouse built by Col. Ellet in the 1880s, the collection includes the written and pictorial history of the Latham area, cemetery records, and artifacts from the school itself. By appointment, 120 South Cherry

Rock Creek Stone Arch Bridge Turn back the clock and drive across this graceful old bridge built in the 1880s. Satchel Creek Rd.

Latham Cemetery The Latham Cemetery has stone markers dating to the early period of the town’s history in the late 1880s. Cemetery records can be found at the Ellet Museum in town. One mile west of Latham

Butler County, Kansas Attractions/sites

Elk River Wind Power Project Butler County near Beaumont, Kansas.

El Dorado Coutts Memorial Museum of Art Visit this fine gallery with more than 1,000 pieces by artists such as Renoir, Charles Russell, Thomas Hart Benton and Frederic Remington. Downtown El Dorado on N. Main St.

El Dorado Lake & State Park Completed in 1981, Kansas’ largest state park offers all the usual recreational opportunities, plus cabin rentals with laundry facilities and a variety of nature trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Northeast of El Dorado

Celebration of Freedom Memorial A brick path memorial honoring over 900 veterans, current members of the U.S. armed forces, and those who served on the home front. A six-and-a-half-foot bronze eagle is the centerpiece of the memorial. W. Central Ave. between Main and Gordy streets

Butler County History Center & Kansas Oil Museum A 20th-century museum offering the opportunity to walk the street of a 1920s oil boom town and explore farming and ranching in the Flint Hills. East on E. Central Ave.

Kansas Museum of Military History The museum features an amazing collection of military uniform and memorabilia representing wars in which Kansans were on the battlefield. You’ll find more than 10,000 artifacts on display. Exhibits include

a Penguin training airplane from the 1920s, a German submarine helicopter, tanks and more. Museum hours: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. daily (Apr. thru Sept.), 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sat. and Sun. (Oct. thru Aug.). South on Hwy. 77

Augusta City Lake & Garvin Park Every Christmas, thousands of lights create a winter wonderland with a drive-through tour of the park. Augusta Ave. to Washington Ln.

PlayPark Pointe PlayPark Pointe is an incredible community-built playground teeming with magical fun. The park overlooks Augusta City Lake. North on N. Ohio St.

Historic Downtown Augusta Shop the “Bricks” in the heart of historic downtown Augusta. You’ll find a variety of unique gifts and home and fashion accessories. State St. between 4th and 7th avenues

El Dorado: A City of Arts Sculpture Alley: This plaza showcases two bronze sculptures and a 10-by-25-foot Flint Hills mural. Artists Phil Epp and Terry Corbett incorporated 570 colorful ceramic tiles to create the mural. Downtown El Dorado on N. Main St.

Beaumont Old Frisco Wooden Water Tower Built in 1885 for Frisco Railroad steam engines in Beaumont, the water tower provided water for the railroad roundhouse and cattle shipping operation. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is the oldest wooden water tower still operating in America. Main and 11th Street

Beaumont Hotel The Beaumont Hotel was created in 1879 as a stagecoach and railroad stop to shelter weary pioneers when the railroad brought cattle barons and frontier society to The Beaumont. The hotel adjoins a 10,000-acre working cattle ranch and is near the Tall Grass Prairie National Park. (620)843-2422 11651 Southeast Main

Augusta Augusta Historical Museum The Augusta Historical Museum offers rotating exhibits covering the mid-1800s throughout the 1940s. Museum hours: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mon. thru Fri., 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Sat. and Sun. State St. near 4th Ave.

Augusta Historic Theatre The Augusta Historic Theatre is a two-story art deco, brick and glass building in the center of downtown Augusta. Opened in 1935, the theatre is a perfect example of the elegance and grandeur in the 1920s-1930s. The theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. State St. between 5th and 6th avenues

For more information contactAugusta Chamber of Commerce Convention Tourism Bureau 112 E. 6th Ave. Augusta, KS 67010 316-775-6339 augustacoc@sbcglobal.net www.chamberofaugusta.org

El Dorado Convention & Visitors Bureau 201 East Central El Dorado, KS 67042 877-858-5600 www.eldoradochamber.com

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