KU’s Lawrence campus plans to be wind-powered by 2020

photo by: AP File Photo

A row of 260-foot-tall wind turbines churn out power at the Smoky Hills wind farm near Lincoln, Kan. Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The University of Kansas has signed an agreement with Westar Energy to have its Lawrence campus powered nearly 100 percent by wind energy by 2020.

The Kansas City Star reports the 20-year agreement is expected to lower the university’s utility bills about 22 percent, from 2.3 cents per kilowatt hour to 1.8 cents.

Kansas State and Washburn universities have signed similar agreements with Westar.

The energy will come from the Soldier Creek Wind Farm northeast of Manhattan in Nemaha County.

The wind farm is expected to be operating by 2020.

The university says the Lawrence campus uses 130 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year.

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