leaving the capitol, about to head on back to Jeff County
February 8, 2008
And it seemed time for a human moment. In amongst the policy stuff, it seems important to try and keep track of the big stuff. I am sitting up here quietly in the second floor of the rotunda in the Capitol, right where I can see the John Brown mural. Strangely, it’s soothing. I really like John Stuert Curry, he was born in Dunevant, not far from where I live.
It’s been a long week for a lot of us, I’m sure. As it is all winding up, I sat back to take store of where I felt the whole shebang was – and I realized that I felt a lot of compassion, for everyone on all sides of this issue. Energy and climate are giant issues, not just in terms of information, but also significance.
As far as the facts – I’m supposed to know about a lot of this stuff, but even I have to go ask more specialized experts exactly what the heck on several of the topics in the current legislation. I also get paid to do this – I get paid to find things out, and so I have a focus. Our legislators are working so hard, on so many issues – they don’t have these resources or this luxury, and yet the fate of getting it all right, getting all the issues in balance, ultimately lays on their shoulders. That’s a very heavy burden.
And in terms of significance – what is decided in Kansas over the next few years, in terms of climate and energy policy, will make us or break us for generations to come.
Is that wording too strong? Probably – and frankly, I have found in life that even when things break you, you can in fact come back from it. However, I will also note that is really the hard way to go about it.
Also, my expectations are probably set unreasonably high. I’m not reasonable about loving Kansas, and thinking we deserve the best. I could probably settle for simply better climate and energy policy than we have now – but – and I know this is corny, because I am sitting in the middle of all these murals and history and high ideals – but I really think we can reach for the stars. Ad astra. The best.
And here’s to hoping it’s not through too much per aspera, first.
Happy weekend, all. Everyone go home and relax.
— Maril Hazlett
Want to know more about climate and energy in the Midwest? Check out www.climateandenergy.org.
Chairman calls meeting to order. Monday, he will work this bill. Tuesday ? KDHE Secretary Bremby has agreed to appear before them ? or Wednesday?. Hearings on 469 and 468 Thursday (?). Friday, possible actions on bills already heard.
Meeting is being recorded on video.
Are there questions?
Sen. Franscisco – my questions are general regarding bill, and the reasoning behind some of the statements. Ie, mechanisms for offsetting CO2 emissions. Is the intent to try and encourage actions that take place in Kansas? IS the mitgation in state?
Sen. Lee responds – yes, as much as possible.
Sen Francisco – so it would be appropriate to have amendments that make this distinction, between in and out of state.
Chairman – if you have amendments, give them to staff to prepare for Monday.
Sen. Fran. – what is the necessity for the $3 ton charge, if what we are trying to encourage is reduction of emissions. Why should facility pay money rather than take actions to reduce emissions.
Chairman – Its an incentive to do what the bill says.The $3 was based on the Chicago exchange. That was the price on the day we wrote the bill.
Sen. fran. – what is the price of the other mitigation actions? Is this $3 p/ ton an actual penalty or incentive to reduce or avoid emissions… What is the cost per ton of mitigation emissions. Do we know.
Chairman (in essence, we don’t) The price of is even less on the Chicaog Exchange today.
Sen. Fran. – I would be interested in cost of carbon or comparative offsets. We have heard testimony on nuclear reactor. What would a company have to invest to offset carbons, or mitigate carbons. We need to reduce CO2 as quickly as possible. We need to know what the best balance is.
What is cost to construct wind plant, and then compare to this formula in the bill? Can we use that as a measuring stick?
Chairman – we did not calculate this.
Sen. Fran. – can we calculate it? We need a quantified list of mitigations, apart from the $3. One option would be energy efficiency. These are things – we need to put together an accurate list.
Sen. Lee – western Kansas already uses less kW per hr that eastern Kansas. I think this wording was taken from the KCPL (??? may have been KCC) agreement. It would be appropriate to have similar wording in this legislation.
Sen. Fran. – we need to figure out most cost-effective mitigation. This seems like there is a limit on energy efficiency.
Chairman – Monday, have an amendment to clarify this.
Sen. fran. – I would like to, but it is hard to do that without the costs. Or the costs of IGCC/ coal gasification. Or no-till offsets. We do know how to do that. The basic ratio here seems off -
Se. Lee – those numbers came from the IPCC and the value the IPCC attributes to those activities.
Day 5 – CEP live blogging on HB 2711
February 8, 2008
Ah. They had to go to the House floor first, but didn’t do anything with the bill. And evidently the Senate is still working their version of the bill today. 9:17 and the room is filling up.
It’s already been such a long day that I have forgotten how to spell “emissions.” That can’t be good. Normally this wouldn’t actually worry me that much, but I have been made aware that there is no official transcript of these hearings, just minutes.
I am definitely not the world’s most accurate record. So I would like to make the offer – if you offered testimony, please send it to me in pdf format at hazlett at climateandenergy dot org (and no, I don’t care what position you took on the bill) and I will find a way to post it – unless you had lots of full color slides. then I might have a problem. It is only fair that people have a chance to check my record against the written one, at least.
9:26
Chairman Holmes calls meeting to order. He has been ordered not to work this bill. Meeting adjourned.
scheduling coincidence – Grover Norquist, national anti-tax celebrity, able to testify on a number of bills yesterday
February 8, 2008
Grover Norquist, a major national anti-tax activist, was able to find time in his (presumably very busy) schedule to testify at least two different bills yesterday before the Kansas legislature – HB 2711 on Holcomb and energy, and the tobacco bill. Also apparently he testified in another hearing, too, although I’m as yet unclear which one that was.
— Maril Hazlett
Want to know more about climate and energy in the Midwest? Check out www.climateandenergy.org.
where’s the hearing…? CEP live blogging… maybe…
February 8, 2008
(Kind of like Where’s Waldo, but even more fun.)
Update: Eager readers will recall that at the end of the hearing yesterday (and that was the last day of testimony, BTW) Chairman Holmes scheduled the House Energy Committee to meet today from 9-3.
However, in the interim, there seems to be some suggestion that those plans have perhaps changed. There seems to be a possibility that HB 2711 will not be worked by this committee today. Rather, it will be referred to the newly announced Select Committee on Energy & Environment. This committee is charged with developing a comprehensive new energy policy for Kansas.
On the Republican side this new committee is composed of Don Myers (Chair), Rob Olsen (Vice-Chair), Jason Watkins, Jeff White, and Bill Light. On the Democratic side, Vaughn Flora will be the new ranking member with Oletha Faust Goudeau and Gene Rardin serving on the committee as well.
(That composition may have different people in it, also, that is just what CEP has heard. Don’t take us as gospel. Things change pretty fast around here.)
So. Now you know what I know. This is pretty much today’s episode so far.
Stay tuned for the next exciting installment on HB 2711!
Sorry, though, that I do not as yet have any idea when that will be. If anyone else has helpful information, please feel free to email hazlett at climateandenergy.org.
— Maril Hazlett
Want to know more about climate and energy in the Midwest? Check out www.climateandenergy.org.
