The story of Greensburg, Kansas, the role of Native Energy, and the efforts of Influxive.com's members all collaborating to make a difference.

On May 4, 2007 at about 9:45pm, a massive tornado leveled Greensburg, Kansas, destroying 95% of the town and leaving a path of devastation nearly 2 miles wide.  Eleven of the town’s 1,400 residents died in the disaster. In their communal search for meaning in the days that followed this catastrophe the people of Greensburg individually and collectively agreed to rebuild their town. 

No one knows for certain who first suggested the town rebuild as a green town. Mayor Bob Dixson says that the community needed no convincing.  Their ancestors knew to be good stewards of the land, and everyone was excited about rebuilding in a way that would leave a legacy for future generations.

In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama said, “Greensburg… is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community – how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay.  ‘The tragedy was terrible,’ said one of the men who helped them rebuild.  ‘But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity.’”

NativeEnergy is extremely proud to play a necessary role in helping rebuild Greensburg, KS as the greenest town in America.   They are excited to offer our clients and partners the opportunity to join this American renewal project by helping build the new Greensburg Wind Farm.

NativeEnergy is the exclusive REC/offset marketer for this historic project.  This new wind farm is being developed with critical upfront financing from NativeEnergy, whose funding is made possible by the collective, community support of our clients and partners.   

Key Benefits to the Project: The Greensburg Wind Farm will create significant economic and environmental benefits for the City as the community continues to rebuild.  The wind farm will generate enough energy to power 4,000 homes – more than enough electricity for every home, business, and municipal facility in Greensburg.  The City will receive the rights to the green benefits from about 1/3 of the wind farm, making the town “wind powered.”  NativeEnergy will purchase the remaining REC output, converting the RECs to carbon offsets for its customers.  The energy generated by the wind farm will displace fossil-based energy and reduce hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon pollution that otherwise would enter our atmosphere.  

This wind farm will be located on farmland just southwest of the City. Several farm families will receive direct economic benefits from hosting the turbines.  

The City had seen its school enrollment cut in half in recent decades, but now residents see new and compelling reasons for young people to stay and build their lives and raise their families in this community. New, green businesses are already relocating or starting up there. Greensburg is already the first U.S. city to light all streets with LED lights, the first to have a LEED certified town hall.  The rebuilding of the Greensburg community is an inspiring example of the new green economy 

Key Benefits to our Clients and Partners:  Our partners can directly (through NativeEnergy) support this project by buying high-quality offsets to address the emissions from the energy they use to run their businesses.  Participating clients and partners can truthfully say, “I helped build the Greensburg Wind Farm!”  We encourage you to do so, to help spread the word about your role in rebuilding Greensburg, about your climate stewardship, and about your commitment to sustainability and a cleaner energy future.

NativeEnergy will keep you informed about the project through our monthly newsletters and regular direct contact.  We will explore ways you can be further involved in project events: groundbreaking, dedication, and the like.  We will work directly with you to ensure that your purchase of high quality carbon offsets from this and other NativeEnergy projects provides you with co-branded marketing and outreach opportunities and public recognition of your role in helping the Greensburg Wind Farm get built.

Offset type:  Forward Stream “Help Build” offsets for the first 20 years of the project’s operating life, with forward crediting of carbon offset against current year carbon emissions by offset purchasers.   

Verification/Monitoring:  The project plan will be validated by third-party to CDM methodology, with extension of the standard project term from 10 to 20 years, and additional discounts to be conservative.   The project’s electrical performance will be third-party verified annually, and the resulting CO2 reductions will be third-party verified every five years.  

Additionality: This project demonstrates financial additionality according to UNFCCC definitions in that the project faces barriers to implementation that are overcome by the opportunity to receive carbon revenues.  The principal barriers are capital costs of the equipment and lack of economy of scale.  The upfront payment commitment from NativeEnergy is required to satisfy the developer’s investment requirements.   Carbon funding from your purchase helps us enable the developers to finance and fund the successful development of this project. 

Project details: 

• 10 new wind turbines, 1.25 MW each for a total 12.5 MW new wind energy
• Enough energy to power ~4,000 homes
• Construction scheduled for August, 2009
• Commercial operation date expected first half of 2010