Quick answer
The projects came online between 2006 and 2021.[1] One of these projects also has turbines outside Ford County; the table counts only the turbines in the county.[1] Turbine makers represented in the county: Siemens (195 turbines), GE Wind (162 turbines) and Nordex (62 turbines).[1]
One of the 464 turbines in the county has no recorded capacity in the database, so the megawatt figures count the rest.[1]
| Project | Online | Turbines in the county | Capacity in the county (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Star | 2021 | 62 | 297.6 |
| Western Plains | 2017 | 122 | 280.6 |
| Ironwood I | 2012 | 73 | 167.9 |
| Bloom | 2017 | 44 | 145.2 |
| Spearville 3 | 2012 | 63 | 100.8 |
| Spearville | 2006 | 67 | 100.5 |
| Spearville II | 2010 | 32 | 48 |
| Unnamed project (Ford County) | 2013 | 1 | Not recorded |
Source: U.S. Wind Turbine Database (USGS, ACP, LBNL), version 9.1, released September 28, 2026. Data compiled November 3, 2026.
Turbines at the oldest project in the county have been in place since 2006.[1] Wind power leases generally have terms of 20 to 40 years, often with an option to extend, while a typical utility-scale wind power project has a useful life of 20 years.[2] The newest project here came online in 2021.[1] In royalty arrangements, the developer pays the landowner a percentage of the revenue received from the electricity produced by the turbines.[2] Minimum payments serve as a floor so landowners receive some revenue even when maintenance outages or lower winds cut production in a given year.[2]
Under Kansas law, apart from leases and easements recorded before July 1, 2011, no one but the surface owner may use land to produce wind or solar energy unless the surface owner grants that right by lease or easement for a definite period.[3]
Kansas requires every instrument that conveys an interest created by a wind or solar lease or easement to describe the land and the terms under which the lease or easement was granted or may end.[3]
The five states with the most electricity generation from wind in 2025 were Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois.[4]
What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. A wind lease rents land for a term of years, and wind power leases generally have terms of 20 to 40 years, often with an option for extending the lease.[2] Under a wind lease, the landowner typically keeps the right to continue to grow crops, raise cattle or otherwise use the land outside the project.[2]
Educational information only — not legal, tax, or investment advice. The figures are public reference data, not a valuation or appraisal of any interest. Consult a qualified attorney, CPA, or landman about your specific situation.
Ford County, Kansas has eight operating wind projects with 464 turbines and 1,140.6 MW of recorded capacity in the county, according to the U.S. Wind Turbine Database (version 9.1, released September 28, 2026).[1] One of the 464 turbines in the county has no recorded capacity in the database, so the megawatt figures count the rest.[1]
The projects are Iron Star (2021, 297.6 MW), Western Plains (2017, 280.6 MW), Ironwood I (2012, 167.9 MW), Bloom (2017, 145.2 MW), Spearville 3 (2012, 100.8 MW), Spearville (2006, 100.5 MW), Spearville II (2010, 48 MW) and Unnamed project (Ford County) (2013).[1]
Buckhead Energy buys wind lease payments and wind royalties. What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest.
Of the projects with a recorded year, one came online in the 2000s, six in the 2010s and one in the 2020s.[1] Wind power leases generally have terms of 20 to 40 years, often with an option to extend, while a typical utility-scale wind power project has a useful life of 20 years.[2]
Nearby Kansas counties with wind projects include Kiowa County (116.5 MW), Clark County (631.8 MW), Gray County (507.8 MW), Rush County (48.3 MW) and Pratt County (452.1 MW).[1]
Under Kansas law, apart from leases and easements recorded before July 1, 2011, no one but the surface owner may use land to produce wind or solar energy unless the surface owner grants that right by lease or easement for a definite period.[3] Kansas requires every instrument that conveys an interest created by a wind or solar lease or easement to describe the land and the terms under which the lease or easement was granted or may end.[3]
Wind Royalties and Lease Payments in Kansas
Selling Wind Royalties and Wind Lease Payments
Oil and gas mineral rights in Ford County, Kansas
Wind Royalties and Lease Payments in Kiowa County
Wind Royalties and Lease Payments in Clark County
Wind Royalties and Lease Payments in Gray County
[1] U.S. Wind Turbine Database (version 9.1, released September 28, 2026) — U.S. Geological Survey, American Clean Power Association and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (accessed November 1, 2026)
[2] New York Wind Energy Guide for Local Decision Makers: Land Agreements — New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) (accessed November 1, 2026)
[3] K.S.A. 58-2272: Instruments conveying interest involving wind or solar resources and technologies — Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes (accessed November 1, 2026)
[4] Wind explained: Where wind power is harnessed — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026)
Buckhead Energy buys wind lease payments and wind royalties.
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