WICHITA, Kan. (March 9, 2020) – Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron, Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, has signed a multi-year agreement with Evergy, Inc. to meet nearly all of its electricity needs at the company’s facilities located in Wichita and Independence, Kansas, by utilizing renewable wind energy. Evergy’s new green energy program will allow Textron Aviation a path towards achieving its sustainability goals using Kansas’ abundant, affordable and renewable wind energy.
The multi-year agreement with Evergy will provide Textron Aviation’s Kansas facilities with 55 megawatts (MW) of energy from a 300 MW wind farm being constructed near Manhattan, Kansas, in Nemaha County. The Soldier Creek Wind Farm is scheduled to be online by the end of 2020.
“The purchase of renewable energy demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable future for our employees, communities and customers,” said Brad White, Textron Aviation senior vice president, Operations. “Textron Aviation claims nearly 20% of the zero-emission and renewable energy generated by the Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center.”
Kansas wind energy production has surged, and wind energy can now power the needs of large customers such as Textron Aviation. The Direct Renewable Participation Service (DRPS) tariff passed by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) in July 2018 enables large commercial and industrial customers to access wind energy at lower rates than the utility’s current offerings.
The DRPS tariff lowers Textron Aviation’s fuel factor cost from 2.3 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 1.8 cents per kWh, nearly a 22 percent savings.
Textron Aviation uses enough energy to power about 22,500 homes. By supporting wind energy production in Kansas, Textron Aviation will significantly offset its carbon footprint.
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About Textron Aviation Inc.
Textron Aviation Inc. is the leading general aviation authority and home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. The Textron Aviation brands represent unrivaled innovation, performance and leadership in the industry, and offer an unmatched value proposition rooted in the total ownership experience. Leveraging unparalleled speed-to-market, Textron Aviation provides the most versatile and comprehensive business and general aviation product portfolio in the world through five principal lines of business: business jets, general aviation and special mission turboprop aircraft, high performance piston aircraft, military trainer and defense aircraft and a complete global customer service organization. Textron Aviation has delivered more than 250,000 aircraft in over 170 countries. Its broad range of products include such best-selling aircraft as Citation business jets, King Air and Caravan turboprops and T-6 military trainer aircraft, all of which are backed by the industry’s most capable global service network. For more information, visit www.txtav.com
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.textron.com
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders.