FLAT RIDGE WIND FARM
OperatingWind power plant
- Capacity
- 50 MW
- Primary fuel
- Wind
- County
- Barber County
- Operator
- WESTAR ENERGY INC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2009
- EIA plant ID
- 56819
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Onshore Wind Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 36.7 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 8.4%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 37.3691, -98.4602
FLAT RIDGE WIND FARM, a 50 MW Wind power plant in Barber County, Kansas. Operated by WESTAR ENERGY INC, commissioned 2009.
How FLAT RIDGE WIND FARM compares
With 50 MW of capacity, FLAT RIDGE WIND FARM ranks 41st among the 115 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Kansas and 17th of the 21 operating Wind plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.8% of Kansas's operating Wind capacity and 0.4% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 382nd-largest of the 708 operating Wind plants in the database. Commissioned in 2009, it is newer than 80% of the 113 operating Kansas plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, WESTAR ENERGY INC, runs 6 operating plants in Kansas totaling 4,079 MW. It shares Barber County with one other operating plant, FLAT RIDGE WIND ENERGY LLC.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 50 MW of nameplate capacity, all onshore wind turbine technology. Net generation was 36.7 GWh in 2024 (an 8.4% capacity factor), down 19% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by SOUTHERN PIONEER ELECTRIC COMPANY, under 0.1 miles away. Another 4 operating power plants totaling 552 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is FLAT RIDGE 2 WIND ENERGY LLC (470 MW, Wind).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
FLAT RIDGE WIND FARM is a 50 MW wind power plant in Barber County, KS, operated by WESTAR ENERGY INC, commissioned in 2009. Barber County carries critical modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.7 of 5 at the 93rd national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 98th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a wind plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Barber County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 98th | 4.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 94th | 4.8 of 5 | 1.1 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 4.9 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 9.7 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 91st | 4.6 of 5 | 7.7 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 86th | 4.4 of 5 | 0.66 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 78th | 4.1 of 5 | 47.6 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 58th | 3.3 of 5 | 8.7 |
| Riverine flooding | Very Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 0.61 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 24th | 2.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Barber County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Barber County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.