City commission approves contract for extra solar energy
The City of Holton gets its electric power from a variety of sources, and following action by the Holton City Commission, the city will add a solar energy source to its power portfolio, starting in 2027.
During the commission’s regular meeting on Monday night, commissioners approved a resolution authorizing the city to work with the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency (KMEA) in purchasing four megawatts of solar power from the NextEra Energy-owned Ninnescah Flats Solar Project that is taking shape in Pratt County and is expected to go online at the start of 2027, according to KMEA representative Neal Daney, who met with commissioners via videoconference.
At present, the city gets its electric power from a KMEA power pool and other sources, including the Grand River Dam Authority in Oklahoma, the Buckeye Wind Farm near Hays and the Western Area Power Administration. Daney said those sources give the city “a really nice portfolio” of energy, but the city would also have the opportunity to add power from Ninnescah Flats when it goes online.
KMEA is looking at purchasing up to 90 megawatts of electric energy from Ninnescah Flats and sell that power to the 30-plus cities that have expressed an interest in purchasing that power, Daney noted. Holton and other cities would have the option to purchase up to four megawatts at a cost of $50 per megawatt hour, he added, noting that price would be fixed for 30 years.
“It’s hard to predict what energy prices on the stock market are going to do, but we’d be working for you,” Daney said. “This will stabilize the rates for 30 years during the times of the day when it’s needed most.”
Holton Electric Production Superintendent Craig Figge agreed, saying the Ninnescah Flats agreement is “something we could get into” and that the city would benefit most from the solar power generation structure during summer peak times.
“When we need it, that’s when we’re going to have it,” Figge said.
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