WICHITA, Kan. (March 9, 2020) – Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron, Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, has signed a multi-year agreement with Evergy, Inc. to meet nearly all of its electricity needs at the company’s facilities located in Wichita and Independence, Kansas, by utilizing renewable wind energy. Evergy’s new green energy program will allow Textron Aviation a path towards achieving its sustainability goals using Kansas’ abundant, affordable and renewable wind energy.
The multi-year agreement with Evergy will provide Textron Aviation’s Kansas facilities with 55 megawatts (MW) of energy from a 300 MW wind farm being constructed near Manhattan, Kansas, in Nemaha County. The Soldier Creek Wind Farm is scheduled to be online by the end of 2020.
“The purchase of renewable energy demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable future for our employees, communities and customers,” said Brad White, Textron Aviation senior vice president, Operations. “Textron Aviation claims nearly 20% of the zero-emission and renewable energy generated by the Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center.”
Kansas wind energy production has surged, and wind energy can now power the needs of large customers such as Textron Aviation. The Direct Renewable Participation Service (DRPS) tariff passed by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) in July 2018 enables large commercial and industrial customers to access wind energy at lower rates than the utility’s current offerings.
The DRPS tariff lowers Textron Aviation’s fuel factor cost from 2.3 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 1.8 cents per kWh, nearly a 22 percent savings.
Textron Aviation uses enough energy to power about 22,500 homes. By supporting wind energy production in Kansas, Textron Aviation will significantly offset its carbon footprint.