Climate and energy

Hi there. Welcome for Round Three of CEP live blogging from the Capitol today. I hope that all the CEP funders are noting our tireless efforts to make the democratic process regarding climate and energy issues ever more open and accessible…!

The committee members today (and some of these names are probably familiar. I’m starting to feel like I should post photos): Chairman Don Myers, Vice-Chair Rob Olson, Ranking Minority Vaughn Flora, and Representatives Watkins, Light, Whitham, Proehl, Faust-Goudeau, and Rardin. The bill at issue is HB 2949, the Kansas Energy Plan Act, which proposes to establish in law a baseload mix of fuel that will up nuclear, support coal, eliminate gas, and marginalize intermittent power, aka wind.

Today Chairman Meyers will brief the committee on the bill. Tomorrow Paul Genoa of the Nuclear Energy Institute will brief the committee on the costs of nuclear power. Next week there will be hearings on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Written materials available for the audience today: The recent article in the KC Star on nuclear power, an article from the Sun Telegram on the recent dip in wind power on the TX grid (although I note not the article from the Houston Chronicle reporting that the issues is actually under investigation as a failure by a baseload provider), and an article from the LJWorld on black coal needing to be part of green debate.

Larry Holloway of KCC has also apparently offered balloon language (potential amendments) to the bill.

Myers – we want to accept this balloon language later, I know that is not usually how it is done in committee, but I asked reviser and she said it was okay.

Computer failure, I sadly lost lots. Oh well! I am recording, so I do have audio back-up today. Holloway explains where his data comes from (which was basis of part of the bill), and notes that he has not discussed this legislation with the commission, he is just offering feedback as staff.He only counted baseload as nuclear and coal. We have baseload now, but facilities are aging.

Olson – what if we don’t install new baseload, and keep operating old plants that exude lots of CO2?

Holloway – I can’t answer that.

Olson – just had to ask.

Holloway – on wind generation – when I did my presentation – I didn’t count gas in baseload. On 5(b) (MH can post later) I wanted to discuss fuel mix in terms of dispatachable generation, we will have wind, this language will make it seprate from that – and this will only affect dispatchable.

Myers – committee, this is why you need to look at definitions

Whitham – I note on your growth numbers… mentions conflict.

Holloway – one was measure of demand, one was measure of energy. Load is getting worse every year. We are not using as much on average as we are using on peak, so load factor is getting worse.

Rep. Rardin – I notice in section 5, you did not carry thru with your balloon of wind. Is that an oversight?

Holloway – the intent – we define intermittent as solar and wind – the state needs to encourage future fuel mixes of dispatchable generation. With this change, you can have 20% wind, it’s just the other mix we are talking about hre.

Myers – you need to define dispatchable in the language.

Holloway – available when every utility needs to call on it. We don’t want to criticize intermittent generation, just to make the distinction. There has been experience over the years with intermittent, like hydro – I won’t use Bowersock – Empire has good example of this, they have old dam down in the Ozarks. They have to let different amounts out downstream, they are at mercy of someone else.

Myers – a good example is what happened in TX, wen the wind stopped blowing

Holloway – they only cut off the interruptible custmrs, which is interesting.

Rep. Flora- so dispatchable and baseload are the same thing.

Holloway – dispatchable is one form of baseload

Rardin – I just wanted to comment on the TX situation, Have any of you read the Houston Chronicle article? It was a baseload problem, it wasn’t just the wind. I think it’s worth taking a look at for anyone who is more interested in that situation.

Faust-Goudeau – in making your calculation, Larry, are we talking only about residential usage, or correctional facilities..?

Holloway – every customer of every kind is affected

Myers- Larry, we will need you all week long. Any questions from anyone on the committee on the balloon? I want to work it today so we can be reading off same page?

Olson – Motions to accept balloons from Holloway.

Discussion?

Rep. Flora – I am having trouble understanding that last balloon. What does it mean. I don’t understand how it relates to intermittent. It sounds like the state will encourage dispatchable, which includes intermittent somewhat.

Holloway – the intention was to have intermittent generation, and dispatchable, with dispatchable accputed for.

Whitham – we spend a lot of time talkinga bout wind generation, but maybe we should also recognize suggested wind generation volumes. That needs to be in here.

Myers – we can discuss that next week. It many be appropriate.

Rardin – what are we doing with this bill – what are the implications, legally, etc., is this a reslution with no legal power? Or is it a guideline? Does it have the force of law in some sense, or not? Trying to get a handle on that.

Myers – it’s like putting an RPS on a bill, if it doesn’t have a punishment. This lays the greoudnwork, sets goals for state, makes people aware that we need to start adding power, we need to icnrease power supply. Larry, what is this increase?

Holloway – this is about 15% addition, without accounting for replacement.

Flora – is increased energy efficiency considered at all here?

Holloway – most of these forecasts are put together by utilities. The percentage I used was from SPP projections. An econiometric model. Whatever the utility considers important. There could be more nergy conservation. There could be economic downturns… in early 90s none of us saw proliferation of energy-using gizmos in people’s houses. Those are increases. Utilities were under-forecasting. There were times in the 90s….

Flora- is that term “gizmo” a technical term?

Laughter. Holloway – yes.

Myers – in section threee there are several policies you can look at later. I look at this as grounwork legislation. It can be altered, added to, it sets goal for State, Rep, Rardin. At present time I don’t think we have anything in statute about increased electrical generation. When this committee was established that was our charge.

Olson – as we look forward we want to make sure what happened in TX doesn’t happen in KS. We need to have reliable baseload facilities in place. this is a good start, a step in right direction. In 20 years, will we be burning coal, burning nuclear… we need to look at this in the long-term. Get good emissions. I support this amendment.

Flora- I support a discussion on these issues. This is a start, I have aquestion on section3 number 3 – where we repeal provisions that restrict development of fossil fuels and nuclear. You include it all.

Myers- I fear there are some statutes out there that may need repealling.

Olson moves amendment.

Aye vote, unanimous. This amended document is now official one.

Rardin – Chairman, do you have any future detail on the testimony schedule for next week. I know we have speaker coming in from nuclear industry.

Myers – I had a problem figuring out who opponents, proponents, neutrals would be (laughter) so Barb is taking names and we will arrange schedule accordingly. We might work the bill on thursday. Next week wll be intensive with lots of lively conversation.

Adjourned.

MH: and remains a mystery as to what the word “environment” is doing in the title of this committee :) although by being there, it does invite the rabble in. Ie, me.

— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org