It’s good to know that not every proposed wind farm location in Kansas will be opposed by environmental groups.

Kansas City Power & Light seems to have found such an elusive spot north of Spearville in southwest Kansas. Although most recent proposals for new wind-generation sites have drawn opposition from environmental groups, this one seemed to meet all of the necessary criteria for approval.

“The site does not include irreplaceable native prairie, landscapes, wetlands or other critical wildlife habitats,” said Ron Klataske, executive director of Audubon in Kansas. “It does not appear to be located in a major migratory bird concentration or ‘thoroughfare’ area, will not substantially degrade important grassland bird nesting areas and will not adversely impact any of the state’s most acclaimed scenic resources.”

Klataske meant to be praising the proposed Spearville site, but in so doing he made it sound like one of the least desirable spots on the planet. Of course, in the minds of some people, that makes it a perfect location for a wind-powered generation project.

The good news about the 100.5-megawatt facility that KCP&L plans to have on line by October 2006 is that it shows it’s not impossible for Kansas to move forward in efforts to use the state’s considerable wind to generate electricity. Sites do exist close enough to transmission lines but far enough from any environmentally sensitive areas.

KCP&L was able to find such a site and is moving forward on another major wind farm for the state. Perhaps other companies also will be able to navigate a similar course.