sick of the poll yet…?
January 4, 2008
Of course you aren’t! (Sick of the poll yet.) The following list of poll media coverage is probably not comprehensive because I had to eventually quit messing with it and go do other things. However, it should provide a nice snapshot of what is out there. I have also excerpted some quotables:
Dan Nagengast of the Kansas Rural Center, from the Hutch News (Harris) story:
“I think if you did a national poll you’d see similar results. There’s been a sea change in how people view this issue, and I think legislators would do well to listen and make policy that encourages wind farms.”
Rep. Pat George, R-Dodge City, from the Dodge Globe story:
“(George) said he’s discussed the decision with several of his constituents, and none of them agreed with it. ‘Nobody has approached me that feels he (KDHE Secretary Bremby) did the right thing,’ he said.”
Actually, one of the most interesting quotables came from a related energy article in the Salina Journal. Here is Kansas Representative John Svaty, D-Ellsworth, regarding House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, and the upcoming legislative session:
Neufeld already has issued an ultimatum, Svaty said.
“The speaker of the House has said that if we don’t do exactly what he wants to do with Holcomb in the first two weeks, he’ll essentially shut the Legislature down and we won’t get anything through,” said Svaty, whose first term started in 2003. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s that compromise tends to rule the day, and shutting things down doesn’t tend to solve anything.”
Still, gridlock is looking like a distinct possibility, he said.
“What concerns me a little bit is that neither side, neither the speaker’s side nor the governor’s side, seems to be talking about this middle ground that we do need to find in order to move forward,” Svaty said. “That is where, hopefully, the (Energy and Utilities) Committee can find some sort of policy that can move the state of Kansas forward and will be in the best interest of all of the state, not just now but 30 years from now.”
Media coverage of poll results
Kansans say denial of permit was right thing (Salina Journal)
Survey shows support for KDHE decision, wind farms (Topeka Capitol-Journal)
Poll: Most Kansans support blocking construction of coal power plants (Dodge Globe)
Poll: Public backs wind energy, coal decision (Hutch News/ Harris)
Kansas voters agree with decision to block construction of coal plants, poll says (KCStar)
Kansans support decision to nix coal plants, want focus on wind energy (LJWorld)
— Maril Hazlett
Thoughts on the recent poll
January 4, 2008
by Nancy Jackson
CEP Executive Director
Most of you reading this post are by now probably aware of the poll results released yesterday – by a 2 to 1 margin, Kansans approve of the KDHE’s decision to deny air quality permits to Sunflower for building two 700 megawatt coal-fired power plants in western Kansas. In addition, 3 out of 4 Kansans also support more aggressive pursuit of one of our state’s most widely distributed natural resources – wind energy. (For more information you can also see yesterday’s blog post).
Since the poll’s release, CEP has received a lot of interest. One question that several people have asked – why was your organization curious about these issues?
Here’s the answer. It’s pretty simple. When we started the Climate & Energy Project last February, it seemed that everyone – inside and outside the state – had a lot of preconceptions about Kansans’ opinions on climate and energy issues. However, there was little to no hard data to back up these statements. CEP wanted to go beyond the stereotypes, establish a baseline of scientifically gathered information, and find out what Kansans actually DID think.
So, we saved our pennies and commissioned an independent, statewide poll – an objective snapshot of Kansans’ opinions and values regarding climate and energy. And when the results came in, we got two big surprises. When we saw that, 2:1, Kansans support the recent decision to deny permits to two coal-fired power plants – and that fully 75% of us favor more aggressive pursuit of wind energy – CEP had a decision to make.
We opted to release these results precisely because they were so surprising. Secretary Bremby’s decision had been characterized as risky, overreaching, and unpopular. Suddenly, CEP possessed objective, credible data suggesting otherwise. We felt Kansans – our friends, family, and neighbors – had a right to know that.
CEP feels that it is time for an honest, informed, broadly engaged dialogue about our energy future. Kansas needs a fully integrated energy plan. It should not be decided behind closed doors, but rather in a democratic, civil fashion.
There is a great deal at stake. Our energy independence and security as well as our economic resilience depend on the choices that we make today – so does our ability to preserve all that is best about Kansas for our children and theirs.
