Climate and energy

Some of the companies who commissioned this Renewable Energy Standard (RES) jobs survey include wind companies with major Kansas interests, such as Iberdrola and Horizon.

The study projects that under a federal RES of 25% renewables generated from electricity by 2025, Kansas could gain up to 5,000 wind jobs by 2025 (counting direct, indirect, and “induced” jobs). By comparison, states with strong existing state RES’s (ie, Colorado) will gain twice as many wind jobs. The study also looked at job growth for biomass, hydropower, waste to energy, and solar.

From the Wall St Journal, by Rebecca Smith:

The U.S. could add hundreds of thousands of jobs if Congress requires that part of the nation’s electricity be derived from renewable sources, according to a study released Thursday.

The study, by Navigant Consulting, said a renewable-energy standard requiring utilities to produce between 20% and 25% of their energy from wind, solar and other renewable sources would create between 191,000 and 274,000 jobs.

More than half would be high-value manufacturing jobs that could help the U.S. boost exports and develop an advantage in technological innovation, said Navigant, a business consultancy that conducted the study for the RES Alliance for Jobs, a consortium of renewable-energy companies.

Absent such a federal mandate, the study found, many states would lose renewable-energy jobs in coming years and some industries, such as biomass, could collapse altogether. As natural gas prices decline, renewable energy is less competitive against conventional sources of power generation.

A renewable-energy standard is receiving more attention now that federal climate-change legislation has stumbled. The Waxman-Markey bill, passed by the House of Representatives in June, included a requirement that 20% of U.S. energy come from renewables by 2020. Some environmental and renewable-energy groups are lobbying for such provisions in a separate jobs bill.

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell this week urged a group of business leaders to support a federal renewable standard, characterizing it as critical to U.S. efforts to compete with China, which has become the largest exporter of equipment to generate solar and wind power. China is devoting more than $200 billion to clean energy in its economic-stimulus package.

Mr. Rendell urged business leaders to agitate for a renewable-energy standard. “Mandates are what will create the market,” he said.

Speaking before the same gathering, a conference organized by the Brookings Institution think tank and investment bank Lazard, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the federal government can learn from the experience of states that are tackling climate change through their own renewable-energy standards.

California has set a goal of obtaining 33% of its power from renewable sources by 2020, from about 13% now. “We don’t mind being the laboratory for the federal government,” Mr. Schwarzenegger said.

Bruce Katz, director of Brookings’s Metropolitan Policy Program, said “the transition to a low-carbon economy is fundamentally about markets” and who will dominate them.

The states that would benefit most from a renewable-energy standard are those that already impose targets on their utilities such as California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Colorado and Florida.

— posted by Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org

Check out this event – sponsored by Labette and Independence Community Colleges of Kansas:

What: Kansas Green Energy Summit
When: April 8th and 9th
Where: Independence Community College (Independence, KS)

Topics:

• Wind, Solar, and Geothermal Energy in Kansas,
• Costs Associated w/Renewable Energy,
• Energy Auditing & Thermal Imaging, USDA REAP Program,
  Green Initiatives for Businesses and School Campuses,
• Greening Curriculum, …and more

Speakers include:

Mr. Gary Hogsett, P.E., CEM, LC, LEED-AP

Mr. Gary Hogsett has provided energy analysis studies for more than 1500 buildings. His two engineering degrees, specializing in energy management, and his 28 years of experience in the Energy Management field have earned him a national reputation, as evidenced by his selection as speaker at eight different World Energy Engineering Congresses.

Bill Hanlon

Mr. Bill Hanlon is known as the “build ‘em tight” evangelist in Kansas. He has also had quite an influence on planning in Greensburg, KS. Mr. Hanlon has been involved in the construction field for 35 years as a carpenter, building contractor, truss manufacturer, and teacher. His work in the field has focused on energy efficient building, and the teaching of alternative methods and approaches to make homes more efficient and sustainable. For the past 14 years Mr. Hanlon has been an instructor in the Construction Technology program at Flint Hills Technical College in Emporia, Ks. and is currently the director of the Sustainable Living Center at the college.

Dr. Ruth Douglas Miller

Dr. Ruth Douglas Miller of KSU will speak on the Kansas Wind Industry. She is an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Kansas State University.

For more information and registration materials, contact:

Chenoa Bosch

Workforce Development Coordinator

KCWE Region V Director

Independence Community College

620-332-5621

cbosch@indycc.edu

www.indycc.edu

From the KC Free Press:

Greener than thou:
For some Kansas City churches, environmentalism is a very Christian ideal

By Robert Folsom
Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Stewardship. Taking care of the earth. It would seem to be a biblical imperative, one that churches would make a top priority. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. But a group of concerned Christians in Kansas City are taking steps to protect the environment, and are encouraging other people of faith to do the same.

For Carol Meyer, who attends St. Pius X Catholic Church in Mission, Kan., the environment is the issue.

“If we don’t have an earth, nothing else — terrorism, the economy — matters,” she said.

Meyer holds a master’s in theology and is active in creation spirituality, which she says gives her a faith-filled perspective on the environment. She considers herself a “green educator” and is a member of the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition of Greater Kansas City.

According to its Web site, the coalition “assists faith groups to preach, teach, model, and advocate for sustainable living and ecological justice for all creation.” The group works to extend a helping hand to congregations of all denominations that are interested in going green but don’t know where to start.

Meyer said that awareness is finally growing in the faith community, but it’s slowly catching up to the secular community, which got there first.

“Congregations are still concerned about surviving, existing, concerned with inner dynamics. What is driving it (the environmental movement) are individuals in congregations saying, ‘Hey, let’s get something going here,’” she said.

Meyer also believes that churches ought to be fueling the environmental movement. “Because if we don’t, who will?” she said.

As with many day-to-day concerns, it’s money that matters, and it matters to churches, too. Meyer said the emphasis is on energy efficiency because of rising utility bills.

“Money starts this, but that doesn’t go far enough. We want every person of faith to be zealous about it,” she said.

That’s where the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition comes in. The congregations in the coalition share experience and resources, and they reach out to congregations who aren’t doing anything.

“We can help you get started — you don’t have to start from scratch,” Meyer said.

Karin McAdams, a member of the Penn Valley Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), is concerned about her carbon footprint, as well as that of her congregation — although the size of the Quaker congregation in Kansas City is considerably smaller than the Catholic congregation Meyer belongs to.

That concern has led McAdams, the clerk of the congregation’s Earthcare Committee, to find small ways to reduce her group’s impact on the environment. At meetings, for example, McAdams has the group use real dishes and silverware instead of styrofoam and plastic.

“We have an eclectic collection of real plates, real cups and cloth napkins, which I bought at a garage sale,” she said.

The Penn Valley house is also a member of the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition, a group that touches many corners of the Kansas City faith community. In addition to the Quaker tradition at Penn Valley and the Catholic congregation at St. Pius X, the group includes Unitarian, Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Unitarian Universalist and Jewish congregations.

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, which was part of the founding group of the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition, has tried to extend its environmental initiatives to many of its congregational activities — especially its meals.

“Whenever we eat meals at church, we eat low in the food chain and eat locally grown food,” said Marsha Scherubel, who is temporarily serving as the the chair of the All Souls Green Sanctuary Committee.

But it doesn’t stop with menu choice. You know those one-quart size sandwich bags, the size of the bags the Transportation Security Administration allows you to take liquids aboard a plane in your carry-on luggage? The trash left over from a meal at All Souls has to fit in one of those. It’s part of an All Souls program called Eat Your Values.

All Souls also takes an environmental approach to the maintenance of its grounds. In 2007, All Souls won a National Wildlife Federation certification for its landscaping and a native garden. But to remain certified means ongoing education. As scientists learn more about the environment, that means more learning, and teaching, for All Souls.

For instance, next to the church is the Simpson House, a three-story mansion that the congregation leases for weddings and receptions and other events. One stipulation: whoever leases the Simpson House must recycle.

“The real challenge is to get cooperation from groups that are renting our space,” Scherubel said.

So as the Universalist Unitarian congregation continues its award-winning ways, one thing becomes clear: Environmental progress is “incredibly slow and incredibly not enough,” Scherubel said.

From USA Today:

by David Jackson

President Obama told a bi-partisan group of governors today he is “convinced that America can win the race to build a clean energy economy — but we’re going to have to overcome the weight of our own politics.”

“We have to focus not so much on those narrow areas where we disagree, but on the broad areas where we agree,” Obama said at a White House meeting with 11 governors from both parties.

The president who supports legislation to cap greenhouse gas emissions said he is also willing to explore new offshore drilling for oil and gas, as well the possibilities of “clean coal” technology. Obama also discussed new steps to boost production of bio-fuels.

China is making major advances on new energy sources, Obama reminded the governors, and the United States cannot afford to finish behind other countries “in what will be the most important economic engine in the future.”

New “clean” energy sources will help reduce global warming, Obama said, but will also have benefits for those who do not believe in climate change. He noted that new energy is good for “our national security and reducing our dependence on foreign oil,” amid benefits the economy “because it will produce jobs.”

“Whoever builds a clean energy economy,” Obama said, “whoever is at the forefront of that, is going to own the 21st century global economy.”

Here is a list of the governors who attended the energy meeting with Obama:

• Governor Jim Douglas (R-VT), Chair, National Governors Association
• Governor Joe Manchin (D-WV), Vice Chair, National Governors Association
• Governor Steve Beshear (D-KY)
• Governor Dave Freudenthal (D-WY)
• Governor Brian Schweitzer (D-MT), Chair, Western Governors’ Association; Chair, NGA Natural Resources Committee
• Governor John Baldacci (D-ME)
• Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN)
• Governor Christine Gregoire (D-WA)
• Governor Bob Riley (R-AL) Chair, Southern Governors Association
• Governor Mike Rounds (R-SD)
• Governor Ted Strickland (D-OH)

Will a clean energy bill ever pass Congress? Will we ever be able to break our dependence on foreign oil, and the cycle of oil dollars funding terrorism against the United States, its troops and its people? When will energy security – and domestic renewable energy supplies are about as secure as it comes – become an important concern for policymakers?

Check out this ad from Vote Vets:

For those of you who have emailed and asked about the current status of a federal Renewable Energy Standard (RES), when last heard from it was wrapped into the climate bill, which contained cap and trade.

Now climate and energy policy is being reconfigured, and there appears to be some chance (not necessarily a good one) of an energy bill emerging. A federal RES, plus transmission reform, would likely make up a significant portion of new legislation.

— posted by Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org

From the Governor’s press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 2010

CONTACTS
Megan Castle, 303.513.2713, megan.castle@state.co.us
George Merritt, 303.918.1071, george.merritt@state.co.us

GOV. RITTER ANNOUNCES MAJOR BOOST TO RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD

New Energy Economy legislation will require nearly one-third of electricity come from
clean energy sources and will create thousands of good-paying jobs

Gov. Bill Ritter and lawmakers today announced legislation to significantly increase Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard, which will give Colorado the best clean-energy requirement in the Rocky Mountain West, create thousands of new jobs and lead to 100,000 solar rooftops over the next decade.

House Bill 10-1001 will raise the state’s renewable energy requirement for large utility companies from 20 percent by 2020 to 30 percent by 2020. The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Max Tyler and Jack Pommer and Sens. Gail Schwartz and Bruce Whitehead. A 30 percent Renewable Energy Standard would be the highest in the Rocky Mountain West and among the highest nationally.

“Colorado’s New Energy Economy is leading America’s clean-energy revolution,” Gov. Ritter said. “We are well ahead of the current goal of 20 percent renewables by 2020 goal. By requiring utility companies to generate nearly one-third of their electricity from renewable sources, we will continue to improve our energy, environmental and economic security. We will create thousands of new jobs and help bring clean, affordable and reliable clean energy into homes and businesses throughout Colorado.”

Colorado became the first state with a voter-approved Renewable Energy Standard in 2004 with the passage of Amendment 37, which set a 10 percent by 2015 goal. Gov. Ritter and lawmakers doubled the RES to 20 percent by 2020 in 2007.

“Renewable energy is Colorado’s fastest growing economic sector,” Rep. Tyler said. “We want to keep it growing and glowing brightly. That’s why we’re proud to present our number one bill. House Bill 1001 will increase the Renewable Energy Standard by 50 percent and will spur development of small, local power projects from a wide array of sources.”

“You can’t ignore the numbers,” Sen. Schwartz said. “By increasing Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard, 100,000 more homes statewide will have renewable energy and lower energy bills, 30 percent of our electricity will come from clean-energy sources, and thousands more Coloradans will have an opportunity to obtain good-paying jobs in the New Energy Economy.”

Colorado currently has 17,000 jobs in renewable energy and energy research, the fourth-highest concentration in the nation, and 230 solar companies. With more than 300 sunny days a year in Colorado and some of the best wind resources in the country, HB 1001 will recharge the economy by incentivizing more residential, commercial and community solar projects.

“Jobs, jobs, jobs. That is our primary focus for this session and this bill,” Sen. Whitehead said. “The Renewable Energy Standard will cement our position as the premier location for New Energy Economy companies to come and create new jobs.”

“Colorado has proven that clean energy works,” said Pam Kiely, program director for Environment Colorado. “We’ve gone from zero to 60, all fueled by clean energy, to strengthen our economy, stabilize energy prices and put Coloradans to work on solar rooftops and wind farms. Our air is cleaner, our water healthier, and we’ve cut global warming pollution. Today, it’s time to take the next big step forward.”

“HB 1001 has been a strong collaborative effort and it makes great strides in making sure that jobs in the New Energy Economy are good jobs with training, standards, better wages and benefits for Colorado’s workers. We support this bill and look forward to it becoming law,” said Mike Cerbo, executive director, Colorado AFL-CIO.

# # #

A major coalition of renewables interests – including corporations with significant presences in Kansas, like Horizon and Iberdrola – has released a major study on the jobs impact of a federal Renewable Energy Standard (RES).

From the press release:

On February 4, 2010 – CEOs representing America’s renewable energy industries announced a major new study showing that a 25% by 2025 national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) would result in hundreds of thousands of new American jobs and prevent a near-term collapse in some industries.

The “Jobs Impact of a National Renewable Electricity Standard” study, conducted by Navigant Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: NCI), found that a 25% by 2025 national RES would result in 274,000 more renewable energy jobs over no-national RES policy. This additional employment is equivalent to 2.36 million additional job-years by 2025.

The study found that new jobs would be supported by renewable energy in every region of the United States and that the biomass, hydropower and waste-to-energy industries, in particular, would see significant job gains in the Southeast.

Without stronger near-term targets than currently envisioned, the study found that industries like wind will experience flat job growth and long-term stagnation, while the U.S. biomass industry could collapse altogether. The RES Alliance recommends raising near-term RES targets in federal legislation to 12% in 2014 and 20% in 2020.

Click here to read the entire study.

— posted by Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org

From the NYTimes, by Darren Samuelsohn:

Key senators are studying whether power plants should be the guinea pig industry for the nation’s first cap-and-trade system designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Electric utilities are responsible for about a third of the country’s annual heat-trapping pollutants, and they have been involved for about 15 years in a similar market-based mechanism that has successfully reduced acid rain.

But the focus on just one industry also comes with perils, and it is far from certain that Senate politics would be any different if lawmakers set aside the House-passed economywide approach that goes after major energy, transportation and manufacturing companies — accounting for more than two-thirds of U.S. emissions.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who is working with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) on a climate and energy bill, said he is telling fellow Republicans they must agree to a carbon limit if they are going to get long-sought incentives for more domestic oil, gas and nuclear power production. At the same time, the mechanism a bill will use for halting greenhouse gases is not set in stone.

“I think we’ve got an opportunity to price carbon using a hybrid system of the old cap-and-trade system,” Graham said.

Graham said he disagreed with the economywide scope of the House-passed climate bill (H.R. 2454 (pdf)), as well as a Senate counterpart approved last fall by the Environment and Public Works Committee (S. 1733 (pdf)). For now, he said the negotiations include a simpler “cap and dividend” proposal that auctions off allocations with the revenue returned directly to taxpayers. And they are also weighing a carbon fee for some sections of the economy, with a trading system on others.

“It’s just reality,” Graham said. “There are different needs of the economy.”

Enter the nation’s power companies. Many played a critical role in helping pass the House climate bill last June, though their support came with the critical caveat that it cover other industries that also are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. Leaders from the Edison Electric Institute, the trade group for investor-owned utilities, helped round up votes as the measure moved through committee and onto the House floor.

EEI is urging the Senate to stick with an economywide approach. And several of its biggest member companies are also speaking out on the need to keep the emission limits as broad as possible.

“We don’t agree that there should be a utility-only bill,” said Melissa McHenry, a spokeswoman at Columbus, Ohio-based American Electric Power Corp. “In our view, it’d just raise electricity costs for some utilities and it wouldn’t address the bigger situation, which is global concentrations of CO2, because you’d only be capping a small portion of U.S. emissions, and you’re just going to raise electricity costs in a big portion of the United states without having a global agreement to address overall climate emissions.”

Chicago-based Exelon Corp., which runs the nation’s largest fleet of nuclear power-generating plants, offered a similar plea. “We continue to be a consistent and forceful advocate for comprehensive economywide cap-and-trade legislation,” said spokesman Paul Elsberg.

“We’re focused on comprehensive energy and climate legislation,” added Randy Clerihue of FPL Group, the Juno Beach, Fla., umbrella company for NextEra Energy Resources LLC, and Florida Power & Light Co.

Read the rest of this entry »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 2, 2010

EPA and DOE Join States to Speed Energy Efficiency Progress in the United States

WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to increasing energy efficiency and reducing costs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today the creation of the State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network. This network is meant to help states achieve maximum cost effective energy efficiency improvements in homes, offices, buildings and industry by 2020. Strengthening energy efficiency initiatives across the country helps to save money and protect the environment at the same time.

“In the clean energy future, energy efficiency is action number one. We can cut greenhouse gases and protect our environment at the same time we save money for homeowners, schools and businesses,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “With strong federal support, our state partners can realize these benefits even faster than expected and move aggressively into a clean, affordable energy future.”

“Expanding energy efficiency is one of the quickest, most cost-effective ways we can address climate change and grow America’s economy,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “The State Energy Efficiency Action Network will help provide states with the technical and policy support they need to invest in energy efficiency, saving energy and money for families and businesses across the country.”

The SEE Action Network will be led by DOE and EPA. Through the network, DOE, EPA and other member organizations will assist states with their energy efficiency initiatives, including residential efficiency programs, financing solutions, and improving availability of energy usage information. It will address the full range of challenges to implementation by providing targeted technical assistance to states in order to reach ambitious national energy goals to greatly improve our nation’s economy and environment.

The SEE Action Network will drive energy efficiency by using a broad set of goals developed in the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, but will strive to reach these goals five years earlier than originally envisioned. These goals range from establishing state-of-the art billing systems that provide consumers with consistent information on their energy use and costs to developing strong state policies to ensure robust energy efficiency practices.

The new SEE Action Executive Group will meet for the first time in early March. A number of working groups will continue to meet throughout the year to deliver results on specific goals.

The National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency is a public-private initiative that began in the fall of 2005 to create a sustainable, aggressive national commitment to energy efficiency through collaborative efforts of gas and electric utilities, utility regulators, state agencies and other partner organizations.

More information on the SEE Action Network: http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-programs/seeaction/index.html

More information on reports and tools for states advancing energy efficiency: http://www.epa.gov/eeactionplan

CONTACTS:

Enesta Jones (EPA)
jones.enesta@epa.gov
202-564-7873
202-564-435

DOE Public Affairs
202-586-4940

The staff of the Southwest Power Pool – the regional transmission line planning authority, of which Kansas is a member – has posted a draft version of its Phase II Priority Projects Report. The report will be officially presented at a February 10 workshop (register here).

The reaction to the Phase I report, as faithful blog readers may recall, got a little hairy. First, there was not supposed to be a Phase I; it was supposed to be one and done. That did not occur.

The Priority Projects – which include the longed-for Wichita to Spearville extra high voltage line – did receive provisional approval earlier this fall. Emphasis on provisional. See staff recommendation below, from the report:

The SPPT report concluded that Priority Projects should improve known congestion, integrate SPP‘s west and east transmission systems, and be routinely identified as needed in SPP‘s current AS and GI cluster study processes. Based on these considerations, SPP staff confirms that the benefits provided for Group 2 are consistent with the SPPT requirements.

Additional discussion on each of the SPPT measurements is provided. Staff recommends
the following Priority Projects for construction:

1. Spearville – Comanche – Medicine Lodge – Wichita, double circuit construction and operated at 345 kV

2. Comanche – Woodward District EHV, double circuit construction and operated at 345 kV

3. Hitchland – Woodward District EHV, double circuit construction and operated at 345 kV

4. Valliant – NW Texarkana, constructed and operated at 345 kV

5. Cooper – Maryville – Sibley, constructed and operated at 345 kV

6. Riverside Station – Tulsa Power Station 138 kV reactor addition

Prior to construction of projects 1 and 2 above, staff recommends that the Priority Projects be evaluated with results of the Integrated Transmission Plan (ITP) study scheduled to be completed in January 2011. The ITP process will result in the development of a 20 year plan for transmission expansion in the next 20 years. The outcome of this analysis should determine if the proposed construction and voltage operation of the Priority Projects is consistent with the 20 year plan requirements.

I was reflecting – I just had a baby in November. At the rate this is going, she could conceivably be in grade school (hopefully not junior high!!!) before this line gets built.

Oy.

— posted by Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org

From the NYTimes, by Sindya N. Bhanyoo:

China’s overall federal stimulus investments in smart grid projects will surpass the United States’ in 2010, according to a forthcoming market research report — though not on a per capita basis.

The Chinese government will spend $7.3 billion dollars in the form of stimulus loans, grants and tax credits compared to $7.1 billion by the United States government, according to analysis done by Zpryme, a market research firm in Austin, Tex.

“They’ve got a strong economy to push forward,” Jason Rodriguez, director of research at Zpryme, said of China’s smart grid push.

Smaller countries like France and Great Britain, the analysis found, will spend less than $300 million each of stimulus funding on smart grid projects, though Mr. Rodriguez noted that both countries are “already more advanced in smart grid infrastructure than the U.S.”

“They have double the amount of smart meters,” he said.

Meanwhile, a number of American companies, including General Electric, IBM and Hewlett Packard have entered the Chinese smart grid market, hoping to cash-in on some of the investments.

In January, G.E. announced that a partnership with the city of Yangzhou, China to build a “smart grid demonstration center,” where it will showcase G.E. products to the Chinese market.

Mark Hura, who directs smart grid projects for G.E., expressed confidence in both the Chinese and American markets.

“The China market is a very important market for smart grid. The requirements there are for a stronger and smarter grid with massive investments focused on increasing capacity, reliability, efficiency and integration of renewables,” he wrote in an e-mailed statement.

He added, “U.S. smart grid stimulus allocation has been fantastic, and as soon as some issues are clarified by the D.O.E., funding and projects will quickly be deployed.”

— posted by Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org

From an email alert sent out by the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy (GPACE):

As you know, Sunflower Electric and their pro-coal supporters finally applied to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for an air quality permit for a proposed 895mw coal plant project in Holcomb, Kansas.

You may hear some say that there is “no way” the coal plant can get financing and that it will never be built.  That is not the case.
You may hear some say that it’s a “done deal” – that the settlement agreement means the coal plant is inevitable.  That, too, is not the case.
The public hearings soon to be scheduled by KDHE will be your last opportunity to influence the proposed coal plant project and to express your concerns about its impact on Kansas’ environmental quality and on the health of Kansans for generations to come.  Your voice will make a difference!

This isn’t over.  GPACE suggests that
·    If the proposed coal plant is important enough to grind two sessions of the entire Kansas legislature to a halt;
·    If it is important enough for the out-of-state polluters who will own the plant to reportedly dump in excess of $20 million into the fight;
·    If it’s important enough for Sunflower Electric to never repay hundreds of millions of tax payer dollars for their existing coal plant; and
·    If it’s important enough for the governor to create a secret deal that undermines state oversight of health and environmental impacts just to get it done; then
it’s important enough to have ample public access to the air quality permit hearings.

GPACE sent the following letter to KDHE on January 21, 2010 requesting sufficient public hearings reflecting the importance and impact of this potential project:

Dear Secretary Bremby:

I represent the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy (GPACE), which, in turn, represents thousands of Kansans who seek a clean, secure, prosperous energy economy benefiting more Kansas businesses, farms, communities, and all future Kansans.

Our diverse alliance was greatly concerned by the proposed 1400mw coal-fired electricity generation project advanced by Sunflower Electric Power Corporation (Sunflower) given its impacts upon the health, environment, natural resources, and economy of Kansas.   Our understanding of the currently proposed project’s impacts as well as potential changes in technical and regulatory practices regarding coal plant emissions leave our members more interested and concerned than ever before.

Now that Sunflower has officially filed their request for an air quality permit for a proposed 895mw plant, GPACE hopes that KHDE will schedule a sufficient number of geographically dispersed public hearings to allow the large number of Kansans concerned with and impacted by this project the opportunity to review and comment upon the proposed permit.

It is our understanding that the previous permit process (that concluded with your denial of permits for two 700mw coal-fired units) involved three public hearing venues.  Given (a) the greatly increased awareness statewide of the impacts of the proposed project – largely resulting from the intense public and legislative debate regarding energy policy subsequent to that previous permit process; (b) the expected lifespan of the proposed coal plant, affecting generations of Kansans; and (c) that the proposed unit will affect air and water quality, as well as energy management and economic decisions, for many Kansas communities, not just those in the local region in which the plant will be located; we respectfully suggest that it is essential to hold more than three public hearings this time around.

We request that two additional public hearings be added to the process – for a total of five public hearings, located in communities/regions of Kansas that reflect the population density and demographics of the state and provide access to public input for citizens statewide.

It is not our wish to burden the agency or the permitting process unnecessarily.  Due to the way in which the current proposal was developed behind closed doors, away from public or independent expert scrutiny, and due to the significant adverse impacts from the project that could impact Kansans statewide for generations to come, we believe it is the obligation of an agency acting in the public interest to allow as many concerned Kansans as possible access to the permitting process and to details of the proposed project.

Hence the reasoning for our request that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment hold five geographically dispersed public hearings regarding Sunflower Electric’s air quality permit application for the proposed 895mw coal-fired power plant.

We look forward to your decision on this matter.

Respectfully,
Scott Allegrucci, Director

You have a right to be heard!  Contact KDHE and let them know that you want access to the permitting process for the coal plant.

Check out our website – www.gpace.org – and start collecting your thoughts for comment at those public hearings.  We’ll let you know once the schedule and locations are announced.

Thanks for all your support.

Scott Allegrucci, Director

From CEP Executive Director Nancy Jackson, published in the Huffington Post:

Remember the old Wendy’s ad? Old ladies peered between hamburger buns at a tiny patty and angrily demanded, “Where’s the beef?” That is how many of us on the Plains reacted when President Obama called for massive investments in clean coal and nuclear energy but left out wind — an industry that reported record gains in 2009, that is rebuilding rural economies nationwide. “Where’s the wind?” we wondered. What about the energy solutions our nation’s farmers and ranchers can provide?

President Obama’s rousing call to lead the world’s clean energy economy generated rare applause from both sides of the aisle during last week’s State of the Union. For the Administration — and for clean energy advocates — there is a critical lesson and an important missed opportunity in last week’s applause.

The lesson: we can pass a strong energy bill for the 21st century.

Recent polls show that most Americans are now where Heartlanders have been for some time: at least half are unsure about climate science and place climate change relatively low on their priority list. That is far from tragic, though, because numerous polls also show that residents of the Plains and the coasts alike overwhelmingly support energy efficiency, renewable energy, and low-carbon transportation options.

Americans support energy solutions that happen to reduce greenhouse gas emissions whether or not they care about climate change. We need — and have numerous versions of — an energy bill that bolsters national security, builds energy independence, creates jobs, ensures long-term economic resilience, and keeps the U.S. competitive in a global economy headed toward a low-carbon future.

The opportunity: call the bill what it is, an energy bill.

We in the environmental community need to get over wanting people to take action for our reasons and instead allow climate skeptics and alarmists alike to “do the right thing” for their own reasons.

Most states don’t have coal or uranium, but many have commercial wind resources. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy projects at least 38 states playing a major role in the nation’s wind future. And energy from our backyards, particularly as it begins to fuel our electric-hybrid vehicles, provides a comforting measure of energy independence.

Obama missed a crucial opportunity to make the value proposition for renewable energy — one that resonates here in the Heartland where climate messages fail.

It is at the moment fashionable among progressives to bemoan the Massachusetts election as a bellwether for backlash. It is no such thing. Martha Coakley ran a monumentally poor campaign. Even in Massachusetts, a Democrat has to earn her election. Coakley did not.

Just so it would be unwise to judge the faltering of climate and energy policy as an indictment of Obama liberalism. It is no such thing. Even with an activist President and a Democratic supermajority, bills must earn their votes. They must be clearly, carefully, and repeatedly explained to the American people in terms that are culturally and practically resonant, by messengers who critical populations trust.

We have yet a genuine opportunity for strong energy policy for the 21st century. To grasp it, we need to honor the position of half of the American public and hold a conversation in terms that make sense to everyone.

— posted by Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org

According to an email sent to the SPP Regional State Committee list, KCC Chairman Thomas Wright has agreed to represent the Kansas Corporation Commission on the RSC.

From the NYTimes, by Keith Bradsher:

TIANJIN, China — China vaulted past competitors in Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United States last year to become the world’s largest maker of wind turbines, and is poised to expand even further this year.

China has also leapfrogged the West in the last two years to emerge as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. And the country is pushing equally hard to build nuclear reactors and the most efficient types of coal power plants.

These efforts to dominate renewable energy technologies raise the prospect that the West may someday trade its dependence on oil from the Mideast for a reliance on solar panels, wind turbines and other gear manufactured in China.

“Most of the energy equipment will carry a brass plate, ‘Made in China,’ ” said K. K. Chan, the chief executive of Nature Elements Capital, a private equity fund in Beijing that focuses on renewable energy.

President Obama, in his State of the Union speech last week, sounded an alarm that the United States was falling behind other countries, especially China, on energy. “I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders — and I know you don’t either,” he told Congress.

The United States and other countries are offering incentives to develop their own renewable energy industries, and Mr. Obama called for redoubling American efforts. Yet many Western and Chinese executives expect China to prevail in the energy-technology race.

Multinational corporations are responding to the rapid growth of China’s market by building big, state-of-the-art factories in China. Vestas of Denmark has just erected the world’s biggest wind turbine manufacturing complex here in northeastern China, and transferred the technology to build the latest electronic controls and generators.

“You have to move fast with the market,” said Jens Tommerup, the president of Vestas China. “Nobody has ever seen such fast development in a wind market.”

Renewable energy industries here are adding jobs rapidly, reaching 1.12 million in 2008 and climbing by 100,000 a year, according to the government-backed Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association.

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Greensburg local John Deere dealer picks up North American distributorship for Endurance Wind Power, creating networks across state and and nation.  RT@KansasAgland, http://bit.ly/aW24o5 Greensburg’s BTI Wind a lift for energy industry #farm #ag. By Edie Ross of the Hutch News.

Tornado recovery leads family down a new path to revolutionizing wind power

GREENSBURG – When brothers Mike and Kelly Estes surveyed the damage of what had been their Greensburg John Deere dealership, one thought came to mind: “blown away.”

The EF5 tornado that swept through Greensburg on May 4, 2007, totaled the dealership itself and its inventory. Combines, tractors and other implements were left twisted, bent and broken like so many kids’ toys that got in the way of a jackhammer. Once all was accounted for, the dealership sustained $23 million in loss, including its building, 50 combines, 40 tractors and dozens of grain carts and sprayers.

The damage constituted the largest loss in the history of Federated Insurance, which insures the Estes family’s company – BTI Inc., a chain of four John Deere dealerships in southwest Kansas. But the brothers didn’t dwell on the damage – they looked to the future, never guessing what it would hold.

Just short of three years later, the Estes family has taken the power that destroyed Greensburg and their dealership – wind – and found a way to help people all over North America use it to power their homes, farms and businesses.

Along the way, the Esteses say, they’ve revolutionized the small wind industry in America by addressing fundamental problems that have plagued efforts to expand the use of the energy source. In doing so, they’ve helped create 100 jobs across the United States over the past year and have set up a training system that will likely bring hundreds of visitors to Greensburg annually.

“We really need the ingenuity and innovation that comes out of rural America to be a part of the creation of green jobs,” said Daniel Wallach, director of Greensburg GreenTown, the nonprofit organization leading Greensburg’s green initiative. “What the Estes brothers have done with BTI Wind just so perfectly embodies what needs to happen more often in this country.”

A new venture Bucklin Tractor and Implement was founded in 1944 in Bucklin by Ralph Estes. The full-service John Deere dealership, called BTI for short, was managed by Ralph’s son, Maynard Estes, father of Bud, Mike, Letty and Kelly Estes, until Maynard’s death in 1989. The four siblings now run the operation, and Kelly Estes serves as president of the corporation.

In 1996, the Estes siblings expanded the company by purchasing the Greensburg location. In 2007, BTI expanded again, purchasing the Ness City location, and just after the May 4, 2007, tornado, they bought the Pratt location. After the tornado, Kelly and Mike Estes, encouraged by Greensburg’s commitment to rebuild the community with sustainable methods, started researching the use of small wind to power their new Greensburg dealership.

What they learned about the small wind industry eventually led to a 2008 partnership with small-wind turbine manufacturer Endurance Wind Power and the founding of BTI Wind Energy. BTI Wind Energy is the master distributor in North America for Endurance Wind Power.

Through a network of farm implement dealerships across the United States and Canada, Endurance wind turbines are sold, serviced and repaired. The network – called the “Harvest the Wind” network – to date includes 32 dealerships with 250 locations that focus their sales efforts on customers like public institutions such as schools and hospitals, farmers, ranchers and manufacturers.

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Way up in northeastern Kansas at our house, the groundhog definitely did not see his shadow this morning. He saw ice fog instead.

Senator Sam Brownback sees potential for national transmission legislation that could help Kansas. From the Topeka Capitol-Journal: “He said the Democratic-led Congress could turn attention to an energy bill that could include opportunities to develop transmission lines needed to deliver wind power to consumers.”

Why Kansas schools should implement wind power. From the Phillips County Economic Development blog:

In light of the increasing utility costs, expanding schools needs, and diminishing revenues, schools across the country should consider (if possible) a new and forward-thinking solution with countless benefits: renewable energy from wind power. By harnessing the wind that blows across playgrounds, school buildings, and parking lots,  the administrators and communities could realize the immediate rewards of a community-sized wind turbine brought to their facility.

Barber County Development to hold regional wind symposium. From the High Plains Journal:

Sponsored by RSI Wind, Jan. 28 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., in the Kiowa Community Center at 119 S 5th in Kiowa, Kan. A similar event was held in January 2008 and more than 150 participants from throughout Kansas and Oklahoma attended.

Since then Barber County has a new wind farm: Flat Ridge. This wind farm brought not only construction jobs and money to the area but also permanent employees and a yearly monetary allotment to Barber County. Not to mention a working partnership with the forerunners in Wind Energy: BP, Westar, and Clipper. These companies have become good community neighbors and the area will continue to benefit from having such environmentally conscientious and nationally known allies. Guest speakers will be addressing a variety of topics including: potential wind farm expansion in the area, new transmission line projects, community leasing, wind and the rural electric Co-Ops, the Governor’s 20/20 plan, economic impact of wind development to the area….

… Barber County Development, Inc is also holding an art contest for both Medicine Lodge and South Barber K-5 students. The topic is “Wind Energy” and the art will be displayed and judged at the conference. Each participating student will receive a pinwheel. This program is designed to engage students and spark their interest in Wind Energy.

Siemens’ energy plan – diversify. From Climateer:

One-third of all the energy-generating capacity in the U.S. uses Siemens’ power-generating equipment. Impressive. Siemens Energy employs about 12,000 people in the U.S., mostly in manufacturing and services. Siemens has factories that make rotor blades and nacelles for wind turbines in Hutchison, Kansas, and Fort Madison, Iowa. It operates a factory that make turbines for gas-powered plants in Charlotte, N.C. In nuclear, after pulling out of a joint venture with Areva in which it was a minority partner, Siemens has formed a partnership with Rosatom, a fast-growing state-owned atomic energy firm in Russia. Last year, Siemens bought a 40% stake in Arava, an Israeli firm that makes utility-scale solar thermal power plants. That’s a business that should work in the southwest U.S.

Potential of wind energy for Kansas. From the High Plains Journal.

Earning the hearts and minds of farmers and rural landowners may prove easier, since they may see the benefits of hosting a wind turbine. Hosting a wind turbine generally makes $2,500 to $4,000 per MW and can generate $100,000 per year, which is then spent locally. Usually, hosting a wind turbine is a 20- to 30-year contract and requires about 100 acres out of production for a 2 MW turbine.

— posted by Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org

From today’s Washington Post:

U.S. pledges 17 percent emissions reduction by 2020

By Juliet Eilperin

The United States pledged Thursday to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels under an international climate agreement, though it made its commitment contingent on passing legislation at home.

The Obama administration submitted its much-anticipated reduction target to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat under the Copenhagen Accord, a non-binding deal brokered by the United States last month at the U.N.-sponsored climate talks. Under the deal President Obama helped secure in Copenhagen, major emitters of greenhouse gases are expected to “inscribe” their reduction targets by Jan. 31.

The commitment states that the United States will cut its emissions “in the range of 17 percent, in conformity with anticipated U.S. energy and climate legislation, recognizing that the final target will be reported to the Secretariat in light of enacted legislation.” It remains unclear if Congress will pass a comprehensive climate bill this year.

Ned Helme, president of the D.C.-based Center for Clean Air Policy, said as the deadline approaches, it is becoming clear that the world’s biggest carbon emitters are going to follow through on voluntary pledges they made in the run-up to last month’s talks.

“Now the smoke has cleared, people are now taking the Copenhagen Accord more seriously,” Helme said. “You’re going to see all the major players sign up.”

Several key developing nations, such as China and India, have not yet indicated what they will commit to under the agreement.

Todd Stern, the U.S. special envoy on climate change, said in a statement Thursday the administration expects “that all major economies will honor their agreement in Copenhagen to submit their mitigation targets or actions as provided in the Accord.”

On the same day the United States made its pledge public, the low-lying Marshall Islands announced it would reduce emissions 40 percent by 2020 under the accord. “If one of the smallest and most vulnerable island states can take action, the largest countries have no excuse not to follow our example,” said Marshall Islands Foreign Minister John Silk.

The popular  State Energy Efficient Appliance Replacement Program, announced on Thursday that applications for rebates have exceeded funds available.

The program, announced in December of 2009, by the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, provided rebates to consumers who purchase ENERGY STAR® refrigerators, clothes washers, freezers, dishwashers and window air conditioners.

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, SEEARP provided $2.7 million for the replacement of an estimated 4800 appliances.

From the Wichita Eagle:  Appliance rebate program closes

Posted on Thu, Jan. 28, 2010

The state is no longer accepting applications from low-income residents who want to get free, new appliances for their homes.

The program, funded by federal stimulus money, gave residents vouchers worth up to $700 to replace 10-year-old refrigerators with new energy-efficient models. Residents could also get money for freezers, dishwashers and washing machines.

By 5 p.m. Thursday, the number of requests had exceeded the $2.7 million in federal money the state had for the program, according to the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation.

Moffet Resigns from KCC

By Tim Carpenter

Gov. Mark Parkinson accepted the resignation of a Kansas Corporation Commission member who stepped aside for personal reasons, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

Michael Moffet, a Lawrence lawyer, sent a letter to Parkinson requesting the withdrawal of his nomination for a second term on the three-member commission responsible for regulating the utility, transportation and energy sectors in Kansas.

“He’s resigned for personal reasons,” said Abbie Hodgson, spokeswoman at the KCC. “The governor sent the letter to the Senate.”

Moffet’s confirmation by the Senate was frozen last week when questions emerged about the commissioner’s relationship with a female staff member in the KCC’s office. Moffet isn’t married.

Some senators privately took issue with the association because romantic interaction between a staff member and commissioner could improperly influence regulatory issues before the agency.

The commission acts independently as a quasi-judicial branch of government with authority to render decisions on regulated businesses. Its mission is to “protect the public interest through impartial and efficient resolution” of issues involving service, safety and rates of public utilities, oil and gas production, and motor carriers.

Moffet’s nomination was pulled from the Senate calendar and sent to the Senate Utilities Committee pending a resolution of the quandary.

Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, said he was unclear how to approach the delicate matter because it was difficult to know where to draw the line between the Senate’s oversight duty and personnel matters at the KCC.

“That’s a question I’ve had in my own mind,” Morris said. “I don’t have an answer.”

He didn’t welcome a protracted fight over Moffet’s future at the KCC, given debate in the Legislature about the state’s $400 million budget deficit.

“We’re got enough things in the fire to get involved in this one,” Morris said.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat and member of the Senate Confirmations Committee, said he had been impressed with Moffet’s credentials.

“He was a very capable commissioner,” Hensley said. “I was impressed with his resume and his background. Everybody thought he was highly qualified.”

Moffet was appointed to the KCC in 2004 by then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. He was reappointed in July by Parkinson, and he served pending Senate review. If the controversy hadn’t undermined his confirmation, Moffet would have served a term that would have expired in 2012.

Law provides that no more than two of the three commissioners may belong to the same political party. Moffet was the lone Republican. The other commissioners are Thomas Wright, of Topeka, and Joseph Harkins, of Lawrence.

Moffet came to the KCC after working as a consultant with SBC Communications. He also worked at the Federal Aviation Administration.