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With the flip of a switch, Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. dedicated two one-Megawatt solar farms today outside Girard and Chanute. The solar farms will provide help ensure rate stability and provide a renewable, locally generated source of energy to Heartland consumer-members for many years to come.
Heartland Electric Board of Directors and Manager
Originally announced in November of 2017, Heartland’s two solar farms were formally linked to the grid by Today’s Power Inc. (TPI) of North Little Rock, Arkansas. These solar farms are the first two of 22 to be built as part of the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program, a TPI solar power services agreement program that ensures low-cost renewable energy to 12 participating Kansas electric cooperatives.
Once all 22 solar farms are completed, 80,000 homes will be powered by the 20 Megawatts of capacity the farms will produce.
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Both of Heartland’s newly dedicated Greenbush and Urbana solar farms were customized in the design process to maximize output during the cooperative’s peak demand hours, when power is most expensive. These factors will all help Heartland control power costs and keep power affordable for their members.
Along with the other participating Kansas electric cooperatives, Heartland negotiated very competitive long-term pricing.
Michael Henderson, President, Today’s Power, Inc.
“Heartland Electric Cooperative was a driving force in the effort to open access for fellow Kansas Electric Cooperatives to enter into the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program and harvest low-cost, reliable, and environmentally beneficial, renewable energy, and now we are proud to have ‘flipped the switch’ on these two sun farms dedicated to their member’s use,” said Michael Henderson, President of Today’s Power, Inc.
Henderson continued: “This is a great example of practicing good stewardship like the rural consumers served by Heartland Electric.”
Heartland Chief Executive Officer Mark Scheibe said the new farms are not just good for the environment—they make good financial sense for all involved.
“Everyone in rural Kansas works hard for their money and deserves some of the financial security that these solar projects will provide,” says Scheibe. “Heartland is here not just to sell electricity, but to promote the quality of life here in rural Kansas.”
Flip of the Switch
Today’s Power, Inc. (TPI) was chosen by Heartland Electric Cooperative in 2020 to provide solar-produced power for cooperative use. Work on the two sun farms began in early 2021 and was completed in May 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 sun farms at a fixed-low cost. TPI owns and operates 100% of the solar array.
GREENBUSH SUN FARM STATISTICS:
· Size: 1.42-Megawatt (MW) DC / 1 MW AC
· Modules: 3,500 Solar Modules
· Racking: Single-Axis Sun Tracking Technology
· Inversion: 125 kW String Inverters (8)
URBANA SUN FARM STATISTICS:
· Size: 1.4-Megawatt (MW) DC / 1 MW AC
· Modules: 3,450 Solar Modules
· Racking: Single-Axis Sun Tracking Technology
· Inversion: 125 kW String Inverters (8)
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More Information:
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This opportunity to participate in the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program began when the wholesale power contract between all participating cooperatives and their forward-thinking generation and transmission cooperative, Kansas Electric Power Cooperatives, was recently modified to provide Kansas electric cooperatives with the ability to self-procure up to 15% of peak demand – with 5% of that amount specifically allowing for the addition of solar.
Using the sixth cooperative principle of cooperation among cooperatives, twelve cooperatives in Kansas are joining together to make a small investment for the next 25 years or more in the harvesting of sunshine. Participating electric cooperatives will be able to procure low-up-front cost solar energy to serve their membership through the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program and reduce their peak demand.
About
Today’s Power, Inc.
Today’s Power, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based utility service cooperative owned by 17 Arkansas electric distribution cooperatives. Today’s Power, Inc. offers turn-key solar photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, electric vehicles and charging stations for all sizes and applications.
TPI’s unique approach to in-depth analysis of utility rates and billing allows it to design renewable energy systems and manage that energy to maximize the benefits of solar and storage for not-for-profit as well as for-profit entities.
For more information:
Jennah Denney – Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator – Today’s Power, Inc. 501-400-5548 or jdenney@todayspower.com
About
Heartland Electric Cooperative
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative provides power to more than 11,000 locations in Southeast and Eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes consumer-members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties. Heartland REC traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives, Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association, (which came together to form United Electric Cooperative in 1975) and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association (which combined to become Heartland in 1996.)
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