Full commercial operation of phase I of BP Wind Energy’s Flat Ridge Wind Farm in Barber County, Kansas, has started recently.

Flat Ridge I Wind Farm is a 100-megawatt project developed by BP, which has over 1,000 MW in commercial operation and more than 1,000 MW in an advanced stage of development.

Westar Energy, the largest electric utility in Kansas, owns half of the energy generation and will purchase, under a purchase power agreement, the energy from the remaining generation.

The farm utilises 40 Clipper 2.5 MW C-96 wind turbine generators. The company’s second commercial phase will produce another 100 megawatts annually. No timetable has been set for the completion of that project.

John Graham, President BP Wind Energy, said this is BP Wind Energy’s wind project in the state of Kansas and marks an important milestone in bringing rural communities a fresh revenue stream without impact to traditional farming and grazing practices.

BP Wind Energy is one of the leading wind developers in the U.S. with a wind portfolio that includes the opportunity to develop almost 100 projects and a potential total generating capacity of 20,000 megawatts (MW).

For its part, Westar is currently also investing in two other wind farms: Meridian Way Wind Farm in Cloud County south of Concordia and Central Plains Wind Farm in Wichita County east of Leoti. Westar purchases under a purchase power agreement energy produced at Meridian Way and owns the Central Plains site.