Bluegrass Ridge

Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm, named for the heritage of the King City area of bluegrass-seed production in northwest Missouri, was the first utility-scale wind energy generation facility in the state. Construction on Bluegrass Ridge began in early 2006 and was completed in late 2007. Wind Capital Group erected 27 S-88 turbines; each of the turbines has a nameplate capacity of 2.1 megawatts (MW) for a total project size of 56.7 MW. More than 20,000 homes and businesses throughout Missouri receive renewable electrical energy from the Bluegrass Ridge Wind Farm. The project site encompasses approximately 5,500 acres in Gentry County. Power from the wind turbines is being purchased by Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI), for use by its member cooperative utilities throughout Missouri. The energy from three of the wind turbines, equivalent to 6.3 MW, is specifically earmarked for use by the City of Columbia Municipal Utility. The renewable energy produced by Bluegrass Ridge is delivered through the N.W. Electric Cooperative, Inc’s 161 kV transmission system. The new jobs created by the wind farm provide a welcome boost to the Gentry County economy.