Energy project brings jobs, revenue and power

Sunflower Electric plant approved at end of 2009 session

After legislators approved a comprehensive energy bill, Gov. Parkinson signed a similar bill that will bring much-needed, private-sector jobs and revenues to Kansas with a clean coal technology plant. The bill also contains renewable energy measures and meets national fuel standards.

The Sunflower Electric project in Holcomb, Kansas will be an 895-megawatt coal-fired plant. The project will create 1,500 new construction jobs in western Kansas where jobs are scarce. When the plant is built, 400 new permanent positions will be created. In addition to these new jobs, the plant will produce enough electricity to meet Kansas’ needs and still be able to export a significant amount of energy.

The plant also creates additional transmission lines which helps wind generators. The plant will produce less than half the CO2 emissions of the current coal plants, and much of it will be recaptured with innovative technologies developed at K-State University. Learn more about the history of this energy plan.