They arise from the cornfield all along the horizon, each one a colossus nearly as tall (from the base to tip of the blade) as the famed Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. The wind turbines’ massive blades turn lazily in the breeze, a slow but steady motion that belies the large amount of power being generated – up to 2.2 megawatts per turbine.
Welcome to Kings Point, located near Lockwood in rural Southwest Missouri – one of Liberty’s three wind farms in Missouri and Kansas.
“The wind is always here in Southwest Missouri,” says James Wilson, Liberty Site Supervisor at Kings Point. “It’s a great source of renewable energy production, and we don’t have environmental consequences from fuel. It’s a great diversification of power.”
Construction at Kings Point began in 2020, and the wind farm began operation the following year. While eyes may scour the landscape searching for order to the turbines’ placement, there was nothing random about where they were positioned.
“There was a study done before construction to find the most advantageous places for the turbines to be built where we have land leased,” says Wilson.
Studies included reviews of potential cultural resources (historical artifacts and culturally significant locations), wetlands, and critical habitats for endangered species. Placement was also subject to setbacks that were established by voluntary agreements with the individual counties in which the wind farms were constructed. These setbacks help limit the exposure of the public to noise and shadow flicker.
Atop each turbine is a nacelle that turns to face the wind. The blades turn as they catch the wind, the gearbox and generator inside the drivetrain converting the rotation into electricity. It is transferred via underground cable to the wind farm’s substation, and then to a nearby transmission substation for delivery to the grid.
The wind farms benefit the communities where they are built through taxes that support local schools and public services, and also benefit landowners and customers.
“The landowners here benefit because they receive a steady income (from land leases),” Wilson says. “And Liberty’s customers benefit from energy produced without additional fuel costs.”
Kings Point is one of Liberty’s three wind farms – along with North Fork Ridge near Mindenmines, Missouri, and Neosho Ridge in Neosho County, Kansas. The three wind farms have a combined total of 277 turbines.
Wilson has been with Liberty for 34 years, progressing from a maintenance position to the storeroom, a laborer at the former Asbury coal plant, and then to operations and a supervisory position before moving to Kings Point three years ago. A typical day begins with checking in with his operations center, and includes ensuring his operators have everything they need, and that Liberty continues to have a positive relationship with landowners.
“I have a lot of hats to wear here,” he says. “But I enjoy visiting with landowners and with people who come here and let us share our experiences running a wind farm.”