CEP live blogging from House Energy and Utilities Committee, Day 4 of testimony on HB 2949
March 12, 2008
Is this the fourth day of HSCEEF hearings on HB 2949? I believe so. First day was Chairman Myers briefing the committee on the bill that he introduced (Day 1); second day was Paul Genoa of NEI briefing committee on potential of nuclear energy (Day 2); third day was yesterday where six participants testified, including CEP and Kansas Natural Resources Council (KNRC) (Day 3); and today we have several more to testify, including Sierra Club. A reminder: This bill, titled the Kansas Energy Plan Act, proposes to decide the future of Kansas energy for the next twenty years by focusing on baseload as represented by nuclear and coal energy.
Yesterday we had brilliant turn-out by constituents at the hearing – the room and hallway was overflowing. Folks: Your presence was definitely, definitely noted. People are still talking about it. Thank you.
What was also interesting about yesterday is that (1) no clear champions of the bill emerged, and (2) environmental organizations, utilities, and the KCC all urged great caution and a careful, long-term planning process when it came to the future of Kansas energy. FYI: this is kind of like cats, dogs, and gerbils all traveling to the vet together in one animal carrier and having no drama occur.
I’m sorry. It’s only Wednesday and my metaphors have already run dry.
Originally, additional HSCEEF meetings were scheduled on Thursday and Friday as well. I received an email late yesterday afternoon, however, saying those had been canceled. The committee will now meet on Monday, March 17 at 1:30 p.m. in 784 Docking.
OK. Here we go. We await the committee. Members of the committee include: Rardin, Faust-Goudeau, Light, Olson, Myers, Flora, Watkins, Proehl, and Whitham.
Hit your refresh button occasionally to check in – the hearing starts at 1:30 p.m. From the list I have now, we will hear the following testimony (in unknown order): Colin Hansen (KS Municipal Utilities), Joe Spease (Pristine Power), Tom Thompson (Sierra Club), Ray Dean, Empire Electric, Larry Berg (Midwest Energy). Repeatedly, I am hearing that there were people who wanted to testify, but who were told there wasn’t time or room on the docket.
We have some of the committee. Close to a quorum. Nice spring day out. I think most of us walked over aboveground, instead of thru the tunnel between the Capitol and Docking. No quorum, pretty decent audience (on normal days, this means 10-20 people. Big days are 20-25. Small days are under 10). We wait.
Chairman Myers notes that he does not normally start meetings late, but he doesn’t have a quorum. Joking, he asks for volunteers. Laughter. Tom Thompson notes there are no hands. Laughter.
We wait. Chatter. Talk. Idle conversation. It gets idler. And idler.
Sigh.
Chairman Myers gives up on his quorum and starts anyway.
Wes Ashton, Aquila
As proponent. Here on behalf of Aquila and ONEOK (I think). Again, congrats to committee for attempting state policy for elecricity generation in KS. A good direction. We are in favor of this bill for state policy. However, there is ome small tweak – in section 5, where you detail specifics for generation and targets for 2028 etc. You eliminate natural gas. We think natural gas should stay in there. You say “negigible” use of natural gas. This will cause challenges for utlities.
We have heard lots – that there is not one answer or fix for KS energy problems. We need to keep options on the table. Why take gas off table so soon? Natural gas has been part of KS policy for decades, and it rises and falls. As prices stand today, natural gas costs more than coal. However, that might not be true in the future, especiually with supply fluctuations, etc. Keep gas on the table. Do not limit options for long-term policy. Our legislature, state, citizens, KCC, etc., will work together in future to determine best baseload options.
CEP live blogging from House Energy and Utilities Committee
March 12, 2008
Reminder to Clean Energy Day participants: please send me your digital photos and post those videos to YouTube! I have some of the CEP images up already on Flickr, but more are welcome. I wasn’t able to attend the Governor’s speech due to the hearing on HB 2949, so those images are especially needed.
What might happen at this House Committee meeting today? I don’t really know. (a) these things are fluid, (b) I got distracted at the end of the meeting yesterday, but I think there is a chance they might work the weatherization bill (CEP live blogged it the other day), an interesting piece of legislation. (There’s also a minor transmission line bill.)
Here’s why: Weatherization is one of many, many energy efficiency options that can help consumers save energy. (Reminder – there are several places for energy efficiency in the energy production and consumption process, from more efficient generators and better transmission, on through consumption; but most people including me tend to think of it just on the consumer end.)
Quite often, our most vulnerable consumers – lower-income folks, those living on fixed incomes, etc. – are also those living in some of our oldest, most energy-INefficient housing stock. These folks obviously have fewer resources to spend on weatherizing their homes. Also, a larger portion of their overall budget goes to paying for energy.
Kansas already supports limited weatherization of the homes of low-income folks – I think the number quoted yesterday was around 1,700 homes per year. Its efforts rank very last in the U.S., though, apparently. This program desperately, desperately needs more funding – especially considering that energy prices for fuels of all sorts appear poised to rise.
However. We know how KS legislators tend to get about spending money. The whole point with energy efficiency, though, is that when you spend the money up front, you save on the back end (I had to prove this to myself on my own utility bill – trust me, it works).
Still, if you keep low-income folks from going broke spending money on energy – and keep that energy from being generated and used in the first place – this seems like a pretty good trade off.
Now that I said all this, watch them not work the bill! oh well.
Members of the committee include: Representatives Johnson, Flora, Mast, Sloan, Long, Moxley, Faust-Goudeau, Swanson, Proehl, Keuther (Ranking Minority), Holmes (Chair), Olson (Vice Chair), Svaty, McLachlan, Fund, Knox, Hawk, Light, Neighbor, Morrison, and Myers.
We await the committee. They’re here. We’re on.
Small hearing on a bill on that will help 12 tiny little communities in KS plan to become 911 phase two compliance. A senate bill. MH skips over this one. Goes very quickly.
Now SB 614. No assigned conferees. Reviser will explain bill, Holmes will discuss. Bill amends KETA act, fairly simple – to specifiy that the publication of notice in KS register would trigger beginning of 90 day period where private entity lets KETA know that they are interested in carrying out a project KETA has announced.
