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My compliments to Chairman Holmes, Vice-Chairman Knox and Committee members for their hours and hours of work and fair consideration of a myriad of proposals that culminated in a comprehensive product. We scheduled debate for Thursday to make sure legislators had all the information they needed before voting. No legislator should be in a position to claim they were not informed of the bill's contents before debate begins. Two documents are available here to provide detailed information. One is a handy Q & A on the energy bill, including a section-by-section summary and the extensive list of partners in the coalition supporting the legislation. Download the Q&A sheet. The second piece is from the National Energy Technology Laboratory and provides up-to-date information on the status of new coal-fired plants in the country. For those who had been told or who assumed that Kansas is alone in considering new coal-fired plant technology and expansion, this handout provides an excellent graphic on the myriad of new plants under construction, near construction, permitted and announced. Note that Kansas is surrounded by states embracing new coal-fired energy production. Your copy is not in color. There is a category for non-utility coal-based electric generators. There are four of these; two in Iowa and two in Texas. The rest are coal-based electric generating units. Download the status sheet on coal-fired plants in the U.S. Another important aspect of the second handout is that it illustrates the regulatory climate in all the states. Note that 22 states, by law, preclude the state regulator from being more stringent than the federal program, some with exceptions (unless approved by the legislature). Under this legislation, Kansas would join the states that preclude stricter requirements unless approved by the legislature. Currently, Kansas is one of 19 states whose laws are silent. Only 9 states allow for stricter requirements than federal regulations. Importantly, some of the states that allow stricter rules have permitted and allowed construction of new coal-fired plants. (See Wyoming, Texas, Illinois and Indiana.) Helping Kansas remain competitive Also consider the states that are true competitors of Kansas for economic development projects and jobs in other sectors. The last thing we need to do this year is allow Kansas to become an energy and regulatory isolationist. We can't be perceived as being extremist either. HB 2014 is a balanced energy bill, which addresses the legitimate interests and needs of the entire state, while ensuring fair treatment for the largest economic development opportunity ever in Western Kansas. In that regard, consider that this project is as important to our colleagues in Western Kansas as NBAF is to NE Kansas, aviation and composite research and development is to South Central Kansas and medical, drug and cancer research is to JoCo and surrounding areas. We all stand to benefit from these economic development initiatives all over the state. We have EVERY reason to support HB 2014. To that end, please let me/us know if you have any questions at all about the legislation. Your questions and concerns will be answered, but we first need to know what they are. Please sign up for email updates here and indicate your interest in energy topics. Our energy future requires electric energy from coal Renewable energy is prominently represented in this bill. It's never been a question of wind OR coal. It's always been about a realistic and affordable mix of stable base-load energy production, coupled with development of affordable renewable energy sources. Every recognized energy expert in the nation (and world, for that matter) agrees that our energy future continues to require coal as a major player if citizens are going to be able to continue to afford their energy demands. An extreme, total anti-coal position is simply unrealistic and scientifically flawed. Alternative sources of energy will grow dramatically over the next 20 years, but they alone cannot meet all of our needs. We need to embrace all forms of energy – especially those that reinforce the region’s power supply needs, responsibly address environmental impact, and spur the investment and creation of jobs from plant construction and operations will provide a solid tax and employment base for western Kansas.
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| Copyright © 2009 Owen Donohoe Campaign, Rebecca K. Chapman, Treasurer. |
