Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation Spotlighted at Kansas Clean Energy Conference
Last week, Joann Knight, Executive Director of the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation, attended the Kansas Clean Energy Conference (also called Future Forward: The Kansas Energy Economy) in Topeka. The event brought together energy leaders, policy makers, developers, and community stakeholders to discuss the trajectory of Kansas’s clean energy future.
Elizabeth Weise of USA Today served as a plenary speaker and conducted an interview with Knight, illuminating the county’s progress and asking how rural regions can harness renewable energy for regional growth. Weise is a former USA Today energy reporter who authored a multi-part series on the challenges of renewable energy siting.
Other keynote and featured presenters included Kansas Corporation Commission Chairman Andrew French, who addressed regulatory pathways for transmission and permitting in Kansas’s evolving energy landscape.
The conference included a pre-conference workshop titled “Communicating with the Public, Stakeholders, and Commissions for Permitting Success”, led by industry experts including Dr. Christopher Ollson and Alan Claus Anderson, as well as a participant from Bantam Communications.
Throughout the general sessions, topics ranged from energy efficiency and battery storage to transmission planning, solar and wind project siting, and regulatory frameworks affecting new development.
At the conference, Ford County was repeatedly recognized as a standout community that has aggressively pursued clean energy driven economic development. Its successful deployment of wind farms, new solar installation, and attraction of new data center projects were praised as a model for rural parts of Kansas.
“Working with Ford County and the community of Dodge City has been an exceptional experience. Their thoughtful, forward-looking leadership, clear vision for sustainable growth, and strong spirit of collaboration have made this region a model for renewable energy development in Kansas. Dodge City, in particular, has shown remarkable initiative in advancing business, industry, and community development—laying the groundwork for lasting economic success. The successful and community-driven development of both wind and solar projects here demonstrates what’s possible when local leaders, developers, and policymakers unite behind a shared vision for Kansas’s energy future, guided by a rational, reasoned, and pragmatic approach.” said Alan Claus Anderson
In her conversation with Weise, Knight emphasized the importance of leveraging partnerships across government, business, and community organizations, saying, “Our aim has always been to build a diversified, future ready economy. Clean energy investments are playing a major role in making that vision real in Ford County.”
Media Contact:
Mollea Lightner
Assistant Director, Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation
molleaw@dodgedev.org | 620-227-9501