Exciting new energy events - wind forum, Kansas Clean Energy Day, and What’s Up With Coal in KS
February 29, 2008
The first event announcement comes via the Kansas Rural Center. As community wind advocate Dan Nagengast told CEP in his recent interview for the CEP Conversations series, he has planned several wind forums to occur across the state this spring. Here’s the first:
Wind energy enthusiasts, landowners, county commissioners, city commissioners and other interested parties—mark your calendars for an event on March 26, 2008 at Kingman High School, Kingman, KS. This educational event will be from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Such topics as leasing, community wind, commissioner concerns, distribution lines, coalition building, and net metering will be covered by experts in those fields.
If you have questions, you may contact any one of the sponsoring agencies which include Sumner County Economic Development Commission 620-326-8779; Kansas Rural Center 785-748-0959; Sunflower RC&D 620-896-7378; Kingman County Farm Bureau 620-532-6721; and the Kingman County Economic Development Council 620-532-3694.
More details and an agenda will be available at a later date.
Second event - concerned citizens and community groups from across the state have decided to designate Tuesday, March 11 “Clean Energy Day” at the Capitol. The full flier on the website reads:
Kansas Clean Energy DayRecently, the state legislature passed bills that would allow two coal-fired power plants in Western KS to be built. This came after the Secretary of KDHE made a landmark decision to deny the plant permit based on concerns of their global warming impact. Concerned citizens and community groups from across the state will gather for a Clean Energy Day at the Capitol to urge our state leaders to support a clean, secure energy future.
Are you in?
Bring your friends and family!
Tuesday, March 11th at 11:00 AM at the Capitol!
Help Protect Kansans’: Health, Economy, Environment, Energy Independence.
Join us in making a powerful plea to our legislators:Vote NO on HB 327!
State Capitol Building (3rd floor) (300 SW 10th St. Topeka, KS)
Last event is co-sponsored by CEP’s parent organization, the Land Institute in Salina, KS. From their flier:
What’s up with coal in Kansas?
Energy, Environment, and Politics
A forum with
Senator Pete Brungardt
and
Representatives Deena Horst, Charles Roth, and Joshua Svaty
Saturday, March 8, 2008
9:30 to 11 a.m. (doors open at 9 a.m.)
Room 201, Peter’s Science Hall
100 E. Cloud Street
Kansas Wesleyan University
Sponsored by
Kansas Wesleyan University, The Land Institute
Salina League of Women Voters, The Salina Journal
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Holcomb/ energy bill - more drama! and other legislative updates
February 29, 2008
Last we heard, I rashly made a prediction that - oh, the Holcomb/ energy bill will probably get out of conference committee today (Friday).
Not so fast, girlfriend! I take a day off from live blogging to get to other meetings, etc., and ka-bluie goes this particular conference committee. And now there’s not even a transcript…! I did consider making one up from what I have pieced together. Even though I could do a heck of a job, it wouldn’t really be wise in terms of my continued employment prospects.
So, we’ll do it the boring yet non-libelous way. The conferees had met earlier to look at some technical changes on language from staff. Then they met later to sign the report, after House and Senate had both adjourned. The Senate folks - Emler (R), Apple (R), and Lee (D) - signed. On the House side, Holmes (R) signed, but Olson (R) and Kuether (D) did not.
According to John Hanna’s account in the Wichita Eagle (AP), Kuether balked on the regulatory language restricting KDHE Secretary Bremby. Olson didn’t agree with language saying that utilities might at some point have to use the best available technology to capture CO2, if CO2 limits are ever set. He thinks such an action would damage the state’s economy.
All this is going on - not minutes after House Speaker Melvin Neufeld told a reporter that he had the votes in the House to override a potential veto of the bill by Gov. Sebelius (also see KC Primebuzz). Speculation has been rampant as to the vote trading going on. Leavenworth Democratic Representative Candy Ruff, who supports the plants was - blunt about it. As quoted in the Eagle story, she said “It’s going to take some more Democrats, and Democrats’ votes don’t come cheap.”
If your mind just shot off to where mine immediately did - what, they come expensive? Cringe. Maybe she didn’t mean it how it sounded. Although it didn’t get much better when she said the next: “I don’t think the Republicans have the votes to pull this off, and if they want some Democrats, they’re going to have to show us a little more respect.”
Um. Um. *headdesk* I try to stay as nonjudgmental as possible, folks, and usually I’m not too awful. And I don’t mean to sound naive, either - but I sort of thought that one’s constituents - mattered to how legislators voted. That’s not also a consideration here? Even a priority? Inner-House politics are important, and of course some level of this negotiating goes on in a political setting, but - but. If you’re more worried about respect and wheeling and dealing, where do constituents factor into a legislator’s calculations?
There’s plenty of great legislators on both sides of the aisle, who care do very much about their constituents and who do resist lots of pressures. Comments like this, though, make it very hard for voters to believe that. The Holcomb/ energy vote is already at extremely high risk for voters dismissing it (and remembering it during the next election cycle) as a horribly tainted special interests deal. That gives an entire legislature - the entire state government - an appalling black eye.
Anyway. End of editorial insert. Because, there’s more! While all this is going on, Westar and KDHE Secretary Bremby are signing a historical pact - Westar voluntarily agreed to regulate its carbon dioxide emissions (LJWorld). No targets have been set, they just agreed to inventory emissions as a first step. Also, new Attorney General Stephen Six states that his office will stand behind the opinion it issued under former AG Paul Morrison, which found that Secretary Bremby had the authority to take action to protect health and the environment (Harris News).
Back to the Holcomb/ energy bill. What happens now? Depends. This conference committee can take another run at it. Or, the House and Senate can appoint new committees, and then they meet. (The first conference committee has to come to a consensus. The second one just arm wrestles. Kidding. They go with a majority vote.) Does the second committee start all over? Dunno. We won’t know anything until Wednesday either way, because the legislators are on a short break due to reaching the halfway point in the session.
Only halfway. I know.
Want some unadulterated good news? Some Kansas utilities and environmental groups are working together to create positive change on climate and energy issues. This week the House passed HB 2632, a bill that according to its supplemental note, amends KS law so that the KCC can allow requesting utilities to “capitalize and add to their rate base investments in and expenditures for energy efficiency, conservation, and demand management programs,” pending KCC approval of such programs. (Obviously this only affects the utilities regulated by the KCC.)
What the heck does that mean. Well, if you know the lingo at all, this is a bit like limited decoupling. Huh? OK. Here’s how it works right now. Under state statutes, investor-owned utilities like KCPL and Westar can basically only charge rates and make profits for their shareholders by selling more and more energy. This connection between volume and profit is how their pricing system works.
However, in a world poised on the brink of carbon regulation and a whole new paradigm of energy efficiency and conservation - turns out that antiquated rate system doesn’t work so well anymore. We need to use less energy, not more, so we also need to revise these utilities’ rate structures so they receive compensation for their investments in energy efficiency, etc.
That, basically, is the policy mechanism known as decoupling. It means that you break the old links between volume and profit, and set up new ones between energy conservation and profit, without your utilities (a) going broke, and/ or (b) incurring lots of new costs for developing these new programs. Smart metering, programmable thermostats, etc. - that stuff’s not cheap.
I just simplified decoupling hugely, and this bill is not exactly it. However, it is a giant step in the right direction, compared to where we were. That’s why the Sierra Club and CEP testified in favor of it.
Note to net metering advocates: policies like this, where utilities are compensated for the costs they incur in encouraging energy efficiency (and perhaps even renewable energy) are part of the larger picture that can help net metering happen. If more energy consumers become energy producers by installing renewables in their homes and businesses, then they are helping utilities reduce demand.
I know. Low drama. Not sexy at all. But hey, still cool. Steady and boring and cooperative - that’s how lots of good changes can quietly happen.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
hysterical! some brilliant youth parody an ABEC video
February 29, 2008
I have just come up with a new rule - never, ever, be drinking anything when starting to watch a YouTube video. It’s heck on a keyboard.
I have mentioned ABEC here before, so I will just summarize: They’re the coal PR giant spending megabucks to polish the image of coal energy, which has taken a bit of a beating lately. This is a parody of one of their commercials.
Watch. But not while you’re drinking.
I’m willing to bet these young people didn’t even spend an infinitesimal fraction of the $40-ish million that folks think ABEC is spending. And this one - this will stick with you!
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Legislative Updates
February 29, 2008
Word on the street: The conference committee on the Holcomb/ energy bill met this morning to review changes made by staff to the language of 327, then adjourned till 10:30. It seems likely that the conference committee will send out their report today. Probably the bill will go to the House next week. If the House approves it it will go the Governor, who is reported likely to veto it.
Currently, the bill’s contents are the RPS, net metering for solar and perhaps limited wind, the study commission, limits on KDHE that try to walk a very fine line between constraining the Secretary’s authority, yet not enough that the EPA intervenes, limits on mercury, and of course the power to build the plants in Holcomb.
Also, via KNRC, a new bill - HB 2949 - was just introduced by the House Select Committee on Energy and Environment into the blessed committee of Federal & State Affairs (which means it is not affected by any deadline that will make it drop dead). The select committee has it on their schedule for next Wednesday.
In content, the bill creates a “balanced energy approach” by mandating baseload power development and designating wind and solar as intermittent power. When I check my notes from the Committee hearings, for many of the definitions and numbers it pretty much takes Larry Holloway of KCC’s presentation word for word in many places.
Interestingly, this bill would repeal “laws and public policies that restrict the development of domestic energy supplies, including, but not limited to, nuclear power generation and domestic fossil fuel reserves.” Also, it would in effect mandate an anti-RPS to meet baseload power requirements, by upping nuclear and eliminating natural gas from the state’s energy mix.
My notes - which could of course be inaccurate - show that the HSCEEF has met only two or three times. To read Day 1 and Day 2 just click those links. To read my comment after Day 1, just click here.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Nuclear power
February 29, 2008
Nuclear power. The KCC roundtable on Thursday was quite interesting, and I am sorry I couldn’t stay for the roundtable itself where the commissioners spoke. Just listening to the information, here were some of my general thoughts:
First a really general thought, about technology. All technologies have benefits and burdens. All technologies impact the environment. All technologies have shortcomings, to the extent that they are not one size fits all solutions. What works in one place might not work in another. All of these evaluations of a technology should ideally be assessed in terms of their entire life cycle.
When it comes to energy technologies, “life cycle” means looking at a technology from the origin of its fuel source (including the costs of mining or land use), materials and energy used in construction of the energy source or the processing facility(ies), operations costs (including decommissioning), manufacturing of components, waste generated in all these processes, and general impact on the environment. Above and beyond that are the climate, air, water, soil, cultural, economic, and global security costs.
Yes, I know. Let’s just head back to our caves, that would be so much easier.
But seriously. You can put nuclear energy in this larger context and have one heck of a freewheeling discussion, certainly. The emails I received while I was there on the site blogging definitely testify to this. What I would comment, in a more focused manner,on the materials presented yesterday (at the limited part of the event I was able to attend) is:
Nuclear energy has learned from events like Three Mile Island. I was very impressed by the on-site safety precautions and improvements in the industry from that angle. If you think of any energy industry as having several links in its chain, they are on their way to getting a very good handle on that link.
Much less under control, however, are the links immediately before and after. The link before - where does the fuel come from? Who controls it? Who processes it? Exactly how much is there of it? How does this affect national security? wasn’t much addressed, but I alluded to some of the issues when I also linked to this CFR article on uranium.
The big link - the missing link, ha - of course is what to do with the waste. For a variety of reasons, managing nuclear waste on a long-term basis is not happening. Likewise, even reprocessing technology is iffy, because the main technology (ie, that used by France) separates out the plutonium. Plutonium go boom. Internationally speaking, plutonium scary.
So, nuclear waste - big problem. On many levels. Not just safety, but also public perceptions.
Are the effects of carbon dioxide accumulating in the atmosphere (as a result of burning fossil fuels) also scary? Yep. They are.
Everyone have a great weekend!
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
CEP live blogging from conference committee on Holcomb bill, Day 3
February 28, 2008
Hi all. Here we all are again! It’s starting to feel like a family. Weirdly.
The room is much less full than it has been. Wait, no! More have found the meeting. Just to review the cast of characters - Senators Emler (R), Apple (R), and Lee (D), and Representatives Holmes (R), Olsen (R), Kuether (R). The topic at issue is of course the Senate and House talking about the Holcomb/ energy bill, and how to resolve their two very different versions.
Emler begins. They are picking up where they left off, talking about the commission and a possible compromise thereof. Now they are passing out papers (I usually leave this part out. But there is a LOT of passing out papers at these things. A lot.)
Holmes responds. Changing some details about appointees and staffing, how to get researchers, support.
Senate side steps out into hall to talk about it. They decide not to accept the part about taking the Chairman off and putting Vice-Chairs on. The Chairmen of Energy and Utilities stay on. They agree to the rest, and leave that undecided for now.
They debate where to go now. Final bill will be 327 (that’s new). Now back on vehicles, energy efficiency provisions. Lee says the criteria are too contingent on price of gas, which might fluctuate and go down (?).
Silence. Anything else on this provision they need to discuss? Paper flutters.
CEP Climate and Energy Star: Michelle Chappell, DVM
February 28, 2008
By Eileen Horn
Who are Climate and Energy Stars? They are everyday Kansans working to address climate change in small but important ways.
Climate and Energy Star Dr. Michelle Chappell DVM is a veterinarian and small business owner in Lenexa, KS. Dr. Chappell took CEP’s Eileen Horn on a tour of her new clinic, Mariposa Veterinary Center, and shared many of the energy efficiency features of the building- all part of Chappell’s vision to “care for pets, people, and the planet.”
My conversation with Dr. Chappell began with an invitation to peek into the “truth window.” This wooden door measures about one square foot, and is built at eye level into the building’s Spanish-style stucco wall. As I opened the “truth window,” I was immediately greeted by an earthy smell emanating from a bale of straw wrapped in metal mesh.
Hmmm. With a name like “truth window,” I must admit I had higher hopes than a wooden door that opened into a pile of dried grass.
However, this is truly how straw bale construction works. In this green construction technique, the bales (in this case local ones from Belton, MO) are sandwiched between thick stucco walls. The straw bales serve to insulate the building, and do so more effectively than conventional insulation materials often made of foam or fiberglass.
An insulating material’s “R” value is a measure of resistance to heat flow. The higher the “R” value is, the lower are your heating and cooling costs. The 21” thick straw-bale and stucco walls of Mariposa Veterinary Center provide an “R” value of 50. By comparison, conventional high density fiberglass insulation “R” values range from 15-38.
In addition to the straw-bale construction, architects and builders from Rothers Design-Build and HarenLaughlin Construction integrated multiple energy-saving features in the 4,000 square foot clinic space. For example, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), made of compressed wood and styrofoam, were used to construct the roof. SIPs provide superior and uniform insulation compared to traditional stud or “stick frame” construction. They also offer energy savings of 12%-14%.
Other energy efficient features include double-paned windows which minimize air leaks. Full spectrum compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use 75% less electricity than traditional bulbs. The building itself was also carefully oriented on the site to take advantage of passive solar heating in the winter and natural day-lighting throughout the year.
In the future, Chappell hopes to place solar panels on the roof to generate their own electricity for the clinic, but that is a retrofit that will happen later. For Chappell, it was important to “do the structural elements like the walls first- the stuff we couldn’t go back and change later.”
These energy efficiency measures and other “green” features of the clinic (including non-toxic paints, stormwater control using native plants, and chemical-free digital X-ray technologies) were inspired by Dr. Chappell’s desire to care for her staff and animal patients.
According to Chappell, “I didn’t want to create an environment that would be unhealthy for people or animals, especially since this is supposed to be a healing environment. “ As a savvy small business owner, Chappell also realized that healthy people are more productive, and a non-toxic work environment would create a happier and more productive staff.
Energy savings were another powerful motivator. For a typical 4,000 sq. foot office space with traditional lighting and HVAC systems, a monthly energy bill would be approximately $550/mo. Last month, Mariposa Veterinary Clinic’s energy bill was $300, for an annual savings of $3,000.
“The way energy costs are going, I really suspect that this building will be even more valuable as time goes by,” Chappell said. “To some people, it may look kinda silly not to have gas, to be fully electric, but I think in the future we’ll be sitting in a better situation than most folks.”
Chappell had predicted the energy savings, the productivity, and the happier staff, but she also discovered an added bonus: the marketing potential of the green building.
“Everyone on our staff came on as a result of reading about the building construction. Several clients have come in out of curiosity. It’s been an amazing marketing tool - lots of people just wanting to see what a straw bale building looks like.”
Often, these curious visitors become clients, as they learn about the integrated services this veterinary clinic offers pets: acupuncture, allergy treatments, surgery, dentistry, and chiropractic care.
Yes, it’s just one building. But it’s one building that saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, realizes multiple economic savings and benefits for a small business owner, and contributes to the healing of pets and the humans that work there.
On second thought, maybe “truth window” was the right term after all.
(Text by Eileen Horn. Photos by Monica Terry.)
For more information about energy efficiency in your home, business, or office space, visit:
- Department of Energy Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/
- KSU Engineering Extension, http://www.engext.ksu.edu/home.asp
- CEP’s Take Steps section - http://www.climateandenergy.org/TakeStep/EnergyTips/Index.htm
For more information on straw bale construction, see Mother Earth News: Expert Advice on Straw Bale Building.
Also, both KCP&L and Westar offer home energy analyzers at:
news updates
February 28, 2008
Hey - first carbon tax in North America! (CSMonitor) British Columbia now has that honor. The tax will start in July at $10 per ton of carbon emissions, rising to $30 per ton by 2012. It specifically targets fossil fuel burning activities: “The goal is to raise US$1.75 billion over the next three years by taxing virtually all fossil fuels, including gasoline, diesel, natural gas, coal, propane, and home-heating fuel.”
What happens to the proceeds? The tax will be revenue neutral, which means the proceeds are turned back over to those who would suffer disproportionately from the tax. Quotable:
The plan is meant to be “revenue neutral,” meaning that overall taxes won’t climb. To compensate, corporate and personal income tax rates will drop, and low-income families will receive an annual tax credit of $100 per adult and $30 per child. To jump start the program, every resident will get a one-time payment of $100 this year.
However:
The new carbon tax is not seen as a panacea. It’s expected to help cut B.C.’s greenhouse-gas emissions by about 5 percent by 2020, but that’s well short of the government’s goal of a 33 percent reduction.
Also - whoopee! - the U.S. House passed production tax credit legislation to encourage development of renewables (NYTimes). However, they tied it to cutting funds for oil and gas subsidies. Um. Yeah. We shall see how that flies in the Senate. I’m not saying - I sense a quagmire - but.
Gov. Sebelius had harsh words for the current coal plant legislation (KCStar). Chairman Waxman also repsonds to legislators Morris and Neufeld’s invitation to come to Kansas and hear the real story on Sunflower and the financing question for RUS (the USDA mechanism that would fund the plants) - you can read the full letter here (.pdf), but, a quotable:
The nation faces a challenging transition in the coming years to deploy low-carbon energy systems. Prudent investors recognize this, and we must ensure that those managing taxpayers dollars do as well. I’m sure you would agree with me that safeguarding taxpayer dollars is one of the most important responsibilities of elected officials.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
CEP live blogging from KCC Nuclear Power Roundtable
February 28, 2008
Morning, all. Welcome to the KCC Nuclear Power Roundtable, an informational session on recent changes in the nuclear energy industry. This is Maril Hazlett, and I can be here for a few hours this morning, although the session does go all day. CEP’s goal in attending this session is simply to take notes (as always, don’t expect a word perfect transcript) and to make the information accessible to members of the public interested in climate and energy issues. The presenters will also be taped, and the presentations will be available on the KCC website.
FYI, David Klepper of KCStar has a story on nuclear this morning - click here.
Some cool speakers are set up for this morning - Paul Genoa, Director of Policy Development of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) will kick off the morning with a talk titled : “Changes in Nuclear Technology and the Nuclear Industry.” That will be followed by Brian O’Connell, Director of the Nuclear Waste Program Office of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).
Then there will be a break, hopefully with snacks. Hopefully. After that, Dave Matthews - no, not that one! not the musician who’s very into organic produce - but the Dave Matthews who is Director of New Reactor Licensing, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will speak on the “New Nuclear Plant Licensing Program.”
8:45 a.m.
Larry Holloway begins with introduction - no new baseload built in KS since 1985. As many folks know. Introduces Paul Genoa, of NEI - check above for the website link as to who they are. Somewhat like a trade association, but they represent 100 % of nuclear industry in U.S., with a lot of tech experience.
Paul Genoa, Reasoned Expectations for New Nuclear Plant Construction. Finding a middle ground between high expectations and total pessimism.
2007. Operating performance. Great year for nuclear fleet - 104 plants in US, about 10% of installed capacity in US, and generates 20% of electricity because of high capacity factor. Record output - 807 billion kilowatt hours in 2007. 5,222 MW of power uprates approved, 912 MW of uprates pending, 1,751 MW of uprates expected. What is an uprate? MH has no idea. $16.80 per MWh production.
License renewals continue, and plant restarts (facilities that were closed) ongoing. 48 plant licesnse renewals granted, which helps upgrade operations and infrastructure. 15 renewal apps under review.
You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll nod wisely…. Global warming videos from the KS legislature.
February 27, 2008
Click here to check out David Klepper et al’s video from the KC Star, and their video survey of Kansas legislators on the issue of climate change. A nice selection of the various views represented.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
News update
February 27, 2008
Working from home in rural Jefferson County at the moment. Sun is shining. Birds are singing. Ice on the lake is popping and spalling in weird underwater echoes as the sun hits the east side, while the west side is still cool and in shadow. Dogs are outside barking hysterically at my poor neighbor.
If I can figure out/ find out when the next conference committee meeting is on the Holcomb/ energy bill is today, we may have live blogging from Topeka later. If not, tomorrow holds a special treat - the KCC has decided to host a round table on nuclear power !!! (.pdf) I guess we weren’t having enough fun with coal. The event goes all day, so don’t expect live blogging, but I will take notes and post them later. Seriously, I am excited - very interesting speakers lined up.
For now, the news.
Cargill has canceled a proposed $200 million ethanol plant outside of Topeka due to the high price of corn (TCJournal). Christian denominations gathered for a “creation care summit,” a term popularized by evangelical Rev. Richard Cizik (Christian Post). Cizik spoke at the event, calling global warming “an offense against God,” and saying that “America needs our biblical outrage. We as a nation will face a judgment from God if we don’t do this.”
The wind industry is facing a shortage of qualified workers due to the enormous increase in demand (Seattle Times). Go, Cloud County Community College, and other Kansas community colleges who are developing wind technician training programs! The country needs you. Kansas needs you, too, to help spur rural economic development opportunities.
The following is not news to any of us, probably, but the USA Today has caught on that wind development is contingent on construction of new transmission lines, and that the grid in windy areas of the country is horribly congested. Why do I mention it, then…? Because I have a crazy fringe theory. The story supports my belief that the transmission issues in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, etc., are going to draw more and more national attention as pressure mounts to develop renewables. There is also a provision in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (I think that’s the date) that allows the federal government eminent domain to build transmission in corridors of “national interest.”
My fringe theory: Either we develop more transmission, fast, or within a decade or so we could face the federal government perhaps deciding to do it for us.
But I could also be crazy.
NPR produced a harrowing story about the history of a yellow fever outbreak in Memphis in 1878. Yellow fever is one of the many diseases spread by mosquitoes. Long spells of hot weather provide a longer breeding season for these insects. Such spells are one of the many risks posed by climate change, which mainstream scientists agree is affected by human actions, such as burning fossil fuels.
Editorial. Randy Schofield of the Wichita Eagle whacks the pro-Holcomb folks on one hand for misrepresenting “regulatory uncertainty” (the Holcomb plant is the only air quality permit KDHE has ever denied, and regulatory uncertainty about greenhouse gases and carbon regulation on the national scene created that unique situation). On the other hand, he points out that in the aftermath of the decision, Governor Sebelius and Sec. Bremby haven’t been open enough about how they are developing GHG regulations. (Don’t get mad at me, I just offer a synopsis). Quotable:
Granted, there are legitimate concerns — we share them — about where state and federal carbon regulation is heading.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Bremby have been far too quiet about how the Holcomb decision fits into larger efforts to reshape the state’s energy policy in light of looming federal carbon regulation and growing uncertainty about the economic viability of coal plants.
They need to move this dialogue forward more aggressively and show business leaders and lawmakers where they’re heading.
All the same, there’s no cause for panic. Bremby has made clear that his decision should be seen as limited and narrowly crafted to the energy sector.
One permit denial out of thousands does not add up to regulatory anarchy.
A guest editorial in the KCStar points out that all of the Kansas’ electricity picture is affected by the decision to put a coal plant, in the face of future carbon regulation structures such as cap and trade. Quotable:
If southwest Kansas goes with coal, then the rest of the state will have to make up the difference by assuming the burden and cost of developing new resources…. With (Sunflower Electric’s) coal plants employing newer technology, Kansas would be forced to achieve reductions at other utility plants, such as Westar, Kansas City Power & Light and BPU.
The necessary emission reductions may not be feasible on older plants, forcing them to invest in expensive alternative solutions. Our exposure is substantial because these utilities rely heavily on coal.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
votes, blog readers, and citizens
February 27, 2008
So far the conference committee meetings on the Holcomb bill have been a whole lot of nothing. I have heard many theories about the lack of substantive engagement on the major differences between the two bills. Any one of them could be true, of course. To some extent, they all revolve around the common knowledge that pressures are being applied to House members to change their votes, to make the measure veto proof. I guess that we will know when we know.
That reminds me, though - I checked out our blog stats for the quarter yesterday. For the most popular entry since January, we have a startling three-way tie (tied within ten votes or so):
Live blogging on the House floor debate re Holcomb/ energy bill - February 18, 2008
Live blogging on the Senate floor debate re Holcomb/ energy bill - February 13, 2008
Holcomb/ energy bill to date - and who voted how - (tallies and names for final votes on the measure) February 20, 2008
We get around 1,500 readers per week. At this point, literally thousands of people have read these entries (and the numbers aren’t falling off very much per entry as time goes by, either, which is unusual for blog posts). How do they find us? As the CEP webmaster - actually, I prefer webmistress - I can tell that, too: Around 40% of them come to the blog through clicking on a link in an email someone has sent them.
I have to assume that a good chunk of these readers are Kansans. I also conjecture that if they are interested enough to follow the issue (which is often confusing and tough to grasp), they probably are voters, and really care. I know from my email that many of them have never read a blog before, ever (FYI, this means they are probably older than the MySpace/ social networking generation - at 40, I qualify as a venerable old lady in the blog culture.)
This combined data represents great news for CEP. Part of our mission is to get everyday citizens involved in climate and energy conversations, and to educate and inform on ongoing relevant policy issues. Boy - has this ever happened. Clearly, we gotta keep on keeping on.
While I won’t get to it until after the legislative session is over, I hope to put together a spreadsheet of who voted how at what point on the measure and to make that accessible to our readers. There is obviously a demand to put as much information about this issue on the record as possible.
Also, thanks to the kindness of many people, especially Paul Snider of KCPL who keeps excellent track of details, I have probably 85% of the testimony from the House Committee hearings on their version of the bill (proponents and opponents both). Hopefully I will get that posted sooner rather than later.
I’ll be frank. When I agreed to blog for CEP, part of me screamed loudly at the other part - “You idiot! This is a hard topic to communicate! No one will read it! What are you THINKING don’t leave your steady job AGGGHH!”
I apologize for underestimating how many people care - and how much they care. You all have humbled me. I am so proud to be from Kansas.
Everyone who reads this stuff, and who forwards it on to their friends - please congratulate yourselves. You make a difference. You matter. You are being noticed, you are being counted, and we promise to let folks know that you care. You have gotten engaged in a major issue of critical importance to Kansans.
Thank you for getting involved.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
CEP live blogging from conference committee on Holcomb bill, Day 2
February 26, 2008
Oh dear. Super-small room. Like - 10×18 feet. And lots of folks who want in.
Oh dear.
Emler makes all too accurate joke about the fire marshall.
We begin.
Reviser - goes over research. Clarifies point about energy efficiency in vehicles, how to word in bill.
Lee - the vehicle energy efficiency wording in this bill sounds good, but too difficult to enforce. Too dependent on gas prices.
Holmes - still, on the other hand, KCC budgets their vehicles.
Reviser - on the meaning of “best available control technology” - this is common language from Clean Air Act, widely defined in literature and practice. Often determined on case by case basis.
Emler - did you see any control technologies for various emissions?
Reviser - EPA maintains database of relevant technologies. It’s accessible.
Lee asks for clarification on part of the definition. Reviser responds. Lee - we have been told that there is no feasible way to take existing coal facilities in state to make them 1910 in terms of CO2 emissions. If this is put into statute, what happens when new technology comes on line in ten years? Are we assuming these plants all have to retrofit? Upgrade? to reduce CO2 emissions?
Holmes - this applies to mercury?
Reviser - CO2 capture. Not necessarily would it apply to amount that comes out of the stacks. This is capture technology, as opposed to emissions technology.
CEP live blogging from House Energy Committee
February 26, 2008
hi all. This morning at issue - I think - is a bill that would strip the KDHE Secretary of all of his authority 
I may be oversimplifying. But I believe that is what it is. I am just here in case they do anything on the net metering bill. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. Again, I don’t think this will really turn into a scintillating transcript, so I will more take notes than transcribe.
But hey this might get interesting. One never knows. Either a whole lot of boring or a whole lot of eek! that tends to be how things go.
9:15 a.m.
Chairman Holmes calls meeting to order.
HB 2872 hearing continues from yesterday. Not material to CEP, so we will skip it. Telephone stuff and the KCC.
HB 2894 - on KDHE. No proponents, one neutral (KDHE), one opponent. In offered testimony, others submitted written.
Sunflower Electric Representative - they oppose the bill. The provision would apply standards that KDHE applied to Sunflower to all utilities. They don’t want anyone else to endure what they’ve been through, so they oppose the bill. Sunflower went through an extensive permit process, public hearings, provided lots of detailed studies on plant’s impact re air quality, met with KDHE staff numerous times, staff approved the permit which meant no health or environmental problems. In October, KDHE secretary decided that CO2 was a danger to health and environment. It was CO2 that was the problem, not coal, please note that was the problem. Now Bremby is gathering info on CO2 emissions on KS in general. What will he do with this info? He said he would seek voluntary reductions throughout KS. If those voluntary reductions do not occur, then permitting process wil be applied. This concerns us - what do we do? His standards are unclear. we don’t want them to apply to anyone else. Bremby talks about what they are doing in Washington DC< but we don’t know what that standard is. That would be troubling. This has sent a shock wave thru business community, all the uncertainty. Troublesome - you can get permit in state of KS, but at renewal, you could lose that permit. Not good for investors. Too much doubt. We oppose this bill. It should not be enacted into law.
Thank you for the opportunity to address you this morning, and for the fine work this committee and its members do for the state of Kansas.
I am Nancy Jackson, Executive Director of the Climate & Energy Project (CEP) of The Land Institute. I testify today on behalf of Kansas House Bill 2881, regarding net metering for the state of Kansas.
Net metering offers Kansas farmers and ranchers greater energy independence and gives rural small businessmen a hedge against fluctuations in the price of energy.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), net metering programs “serve as an important incentive for consumer investment in renewable energy generation,” and represent a “low-cost, easily administered method” that benefits not only consumers but utilities, because consumer systems often offer support during times of peak load. Net metering is already offered in more than 35 states, including our neighbors, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Colorado and Iowa.[1]
Additionally, net metering serves other important purposes:
* By developing more diverse sources of power generation, net metering increases our entire nation’s energy security and energy independence. In his recent State of the Union address, President George Bush mentioned these criteria as the drivers for his own energy initiatives.[2]
* Effective net metering policies spur economic development. By opening up markets for manufacturers and installers of renewable energy, net metering creates new jobs. According to the American Solar Energy Society, the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries “already generate 8.5 million jobs in the U.S., and with appropriate public policy, could grow to as many as 40 million jobs by 2030.” Kansas deserves its share of this booming industry.
* In addition, states with policies that encourage the use of renewable energy attract businesses to relocate and bring jobs to their state. As we have recently seen, Colorado, whose net metering standards are widely acknowledged as some of the most effective in the nation, also recently attracted the Vestas wind turbine manufacturing plant which brought the state 400 new jobs.
CEP live blogging from conference committee on Holcomb bill
February 25, 2008
Hi all. The conference committee is composed of three members each from the House and Senate. They come from the leadership in their respective Energy and Utilities Committees. From the Senate side, we have Senators Emler (R), Apple (R), and Lee (D). From the House, we have Representatives Holmes (R), Olsen (R), and Kuether (D). They are meeting to find common ground between bills 2711 and 327.
We are meeting in Room 526-S… I think. Chairman Holmes announced the room number as 531 when we were in the Energy and Utilities Committee this morning, but he was concerned about the size of that room. I did call Sen. Emler’s secretary five minutes ago, and she confirmed the change of room number.
You can listen live to this proceeding- maybe - if you go here. At any rate, we appear to be on candid camera. This room is set up to be filmed, I believe. Where you can access that visual recording, though, I am afraid I don’t know.
I note that all the guys who didn’t want to be on camera sat in the peripheral section of the room now that’s thinking.
3:30 p.m.
Room is getting crowded. I bet the conferees all come in at once right before we start. Some of this always makes me think a little bit of choreography. Oooo. I just overheard a little debate to the effect of - why is this camera on! we do NOT want this on (big, expressive hand wave).
And they all crowd in. Room is packed. Kansas Pubic Radio is here, might be recording. Hard to hear. Are they going to use microphones.
Kuether begins. Energy efficiency provisions were not in Senate, are in House verson but with differences from original versions. House removed standards for schools, and water conservation for state buildings. Reduced standards on state buildings to 10%.
Emler breaks in - according to national standards?
Kuether - yes. the other protion of energy conservation removed were provisions for chekcing whethr those standards had been met. Finally, the requirement that state purchase energy efficiency motor vehicles was clarified to be 2010 and subsequent years, and included lifetime costs.
“The age of innocence is over.”
February 25, 2008
Below is the prayer offered at the beginning of today’s House session of the Kansas legislature, by pastor Thad Holcomb of the Ecumenical Christian Ministries at the University of Kansas. (CEP has also interviewed Thad on the topic of environment and religion as part of our CEP Conversations series, and that interview should be posted some time next week.)
===============================================
O God, Father and Mother of us all, we are a thankful people for your presence that knows no bounds.
It is in you, O God, that we abide. For the men and women of this legislature, I give thanks. To them has been given the task of hearing your call to compassion. May they hear this call with an openness of heart and mind to all the citizens of the state. It is, O God, through a willingness to empathize with others, that we form a community of care for the pursuit of the public good. May this body be courageous in their deliberations and uphold the banner of justice.
We ask, O God, that this legislature acknowledge the sacredness of the earth and our interdependence with all of life. Let us acknowledge that the age of innocence is over. We cannot treat the earth as we have done in the past. The question is “what can we do to preserve and maintain the Creation on a long term basis?” May the legislation of this body be from the point of view of a life support system, and based on care for the generations of life that come after our demise. May the actions of this body be mindful of our children and grandchildren who will inherit the choices made and the votes cast by these men and women.
The call for compassion, by this legislature, O God, goes beyond defending the labels of conservative or liberal. The issues of today are too urgent to be trivialized by such action. The increasing pollution of water and air are too urgent. The gap between the poor and the wealthy grows larger, as does the number of citizens of this state who cannot afford adequate health insurance. The increasing population of our prisons calls for a justice tempered by compassion. Mental health issues and addictions that impair our citizens need the imagination and compassion of this legislature.
The age of innocence, O God, is over. No longer can any of us in this body, or citizens of this state, make decisions based on just our own survival or comfort. We are called to demonstrate that we are capable of viewing the urgent issues of our time with a perspective that will be celebrated by those who come after us in future generations as wise, compassionate and just.
— Rev. Thad Holcomb, ECM
CEP live blogging from House Energy and Utilities Committee
February 25, 2008
Morning! Here we sit, awaiting the beginning of the testimony on Rep. Tom Holland’s net metering legislation, HB 2881. I believe this bill is also supported by Rep. Treaster of Reno County.
What’s different about this net metering legislation, versus the solar net metering still attached to the Holcomb bill? Answer: lots. So today should be interesting. I will also have electronic copies of some testimony to post later.
9:15 a.m.
Chairman Holmes calls the meeting to order. Pretty full room, all things considered - ie, net metering is really not in the least a sexy or fascinating issue. You have to really care about renewable energy in order to be here. (Or probably, to read a live blog on the topic )
For those who may not even know what net metering is, check out the main CEP website’s glossary entry on the topic. In general, net metering is an incentive for consumers to invest in renewables. It is a critical part of a comprehensive state energy policy that encourages development in renewable energy, as well as in encouraging manufacturers in that industry.
Conference committee announced - 531 North at 3:30 p.m. Warning - very small room.
news update
February 25, 2008
Happy Monday. Today will be a bit long for the CEP blog. The House Energy and Utilities Committee meets at 9:15 to go over a net metering bill that is not limited to solar; Rev. Thad Holcomb will offer the prayer for the opening of the House session at 11:00; and the conference committee on the Holcomb (hey! we have an amazing naming coincidence going on here) bill meets at 3:30. I will be at that one if (a) my fingers still work, and (b) I can figure out where it is.
John Hanna’s article (picked up in Business Week) is about as comprehensive a summary of what’s currently going on with the Holcomb bill as you could possibly wish for. Just to cherry-pick some good stuff, Westar has come out with a very interesting position:
Meanwhile, Westar Energy Inc., the state’s largest electric utility, released a comprehensive energy policy that said the link between greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and global warming has become a “mainstream belief” requiring “fundamental change” in energy production.
Westar’s full policy can be found here (.pdf).
Interesting documentary on the recent rise of the creation care movement (Boston Globe). That film may not ever make it to Kansas, but that is why we have Netflix.
Kansas schools are getting into wind power (Hays Daily News). KDHE Secretary Rod Bremby spoke in Salina over the weekend, defending his decision to deny the permits for the proposed Holcomb expansion (Salina Journal). Quotable:
He pointed out that since January 2003, his office has approved 2,900 air quality permits, including 179 since his decision involving the coal plants.
“There’s never been any uncertainty,” he said. “There’s only been one denial.”
While Bremby didn’t expect his decision to be popular, he didn’t realize how many legislative leaders say they don’t believe in climate change.
“I’ve been stunned,” he said. “I understand that people have their own individual beliefs, but what about the National Academy of Sciences?”
He listed some of the other organizations that agree humans are accelerating climate change — the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, the American Institute of Physics, the American Meteorological Society.
“These are the top scientists in the nation,” he said.
And I keep seeing little articles like this one pop up all over the KS media - constituents all over the state are coming to see their legislators at gatherings like this one reported on in the Hutch News. Yes! Yay! Go. Get involved. Whatever your perspectives on climate and energy issues, get involved in the conversation.
Finally, regarding manure. Of more than one variety. Reprinted from I believe the Wichita Eagle, this letter to the editor:
State Senator Tim Huelskamp and Representative Don Myers have become fond of stating that CO2 can’t be a pollutant, because we breathe it all the time.
True, CO2 is essential for plant life. But so is manure. And every farmer knows that too much manure kills plants. If any of us were sealed in a small space capsule for a few days, the CO2 we exhale would become so concentrated that CO would form, and death would result. I suspect that neither Mr. Huelskamp nor Mr. Myers would disconnect the furnace or hot water tank vents in their homes, or run their car engine in a closed garage. Any of these actions would give them lots of CO2 to breathe.
The excess CO2 we generate by burning coal and other fossil fuels winds up in the ocean of air surrounding our planet, increasing the effective thickness of our greenhouse gas blanket. As the blanket becomes thicker, more solar heat is trapped, and we have global warming. To keep the 11 million tons of CO2 from the proposed Holcomb expansion from adding to global warming would require 13,000 square miles (16% of the area of Kansas) of new pine forest (per EPA).
Simply stated, “Like manure, a little CO2 is good, too much is bad.” Please, Mr. Huelskamp and Mr. Myers, let’s limit the manure and the CO2 ….Bill Wentz, Valley Center, KS.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Dirk Greenhouse to the rescue! use energy wisely - or else
February 22, 2008
Because it’s Friday…. for your viewing pleasure.
Happy weekend, all.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
