One state is amping up the dialogue on U.S. energy policy and the need for more renewable energy sources, and it's not California.
It's Kansas.
Governor Kathleen Sebelius and other opponents have spent six months battling a plan for two new coal-fired power plants in western Kansas. They scored big points May 1, when pro-coal legislators didn't score enough votes in the House to override her veto on bills that would allow the plants.
The struggle started back in October 2007, when Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Roderick Bremby denied Sunflower Electric Power a permit for two 700-megawatt coal-based plants in the western part of the state. It was a groundbreaking decision, marking the first instance of a state's administration denying permits based on climate change concerns. Since then, a bipartisan group of Kansas legislators have been attempting to overturn the ruling.
Fast-forward to right now. Twice, the Legislature has passed bills to overturn Bremby's decision and grant Sunflower the permits. Twice, Kathleen Sebelius has vetoed the bills, expressing the need for Kansas to move away from a reliance on fossil fuels:
This maneuver has done nothing to address the issues at hand — developing comprehensive energy policy, providing base-load energy power for western Kansas, implementing carbon mitigation strategies and capitalizing on our incredible assets for additional wind power. -- Lawrence Journal-WorldSo far, supporters of the Sunflower plan haven't been able to override her vetoes, though not for lack of trying. They need a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate, and the vote on May 1 marked the first formal attempt in the House. It failed by a vote of 80-45.
The victory is startling and, in the words of Sebelius supporters, history-making:
Plant opponents called the vote historic, saying it may go down as a turning point in which Kansas becomes a leader in the movement away from old energy sources toward sustainable, environmentally friendly technologies and energy efficiency.And this "unlikely" place is, in fact, one of the very best states to harness wind energy, according to most research. Most of Kansas is prairieland swept by strong winds. The American Wind Energy Association (PDF) ranks Kansas as third highest state in terms of wind energy potential, behind number-one North Dakota and number-two Texas.They hoped Thursday’s vote was decisive. “True innovation and true ingenuity only comes when we make difficult decisions,” said Rep. Josh Svaty, an Ellsworth Democrat. “… History happens in the unlikeliest of places.” -- KansasCity.com
The AWEA estimates Kansas has the potential to produce 1,070 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of wind energy annually, a staggering number if you consider these statistics:
By contrast, the total amount of electricity that could potentially be generated from wind in the United States has been estimated at 10,777 billion kWh annually -- more than twice the electricity generated in the U.S. today. -- American Wind Energy AssociationThe wind is there to harness and Kansas clearly has a governor with the fortitude to stand up to Big Coal, but what about the economics of expanding renewables in the state? The Worldwatch Institute estimates that,
Renewable energy creates more jobs per unit of energy produced and per dollar spent than fossil fuel technologies. Some experts estimate that every 100 megawatts of wind capacity generates 200 construction jobs, 2 to 5 permanent jobs, and up to $1 million in local property tax revenue. -- Worldwatch InstituteWhat happens in Kansas in the coming months, especially as backers of the pro-Sunflower bills aim to keep fighting Sebelius, promises to reverberate around the U.S.
Wes Jackson of the Land Institute puts it this way:
When the history is writ, this will be more than a mere footnote ... in the struggle to make the great transition from an extractive economy to a renewable economy. These are decisive moments in the collective consciousness of the country. -- Salina JournalFurther Reading:
