Cost increases announced for new KCPL coal-fired plant. As a result of the rising construction costs for Iatan 2, customer bills are expected to increase up to 27%. From CNN/ Money:
Kansas City Power & Light now expects its Iatan 2 power plant near Weston to cost almost $2 billion, a 15 percent increase from two years ago and 47 percent higher than the original $1.3 billion price tag.
The utility, owned by Great Plains Energy Inc., has since increased the size of the 850-megawatt plant, which has generated some of the surge in cost. It also said it’s having to deal with rapid inflation of material and labor costs affecting most of the construction industry
Re-caps of the legislative session. This KCStar headline could have described a typical recent Kansas City Royals season… but no, they were talking about the 2008 legislature - “Small victories, big failures.” (The same article plus a helpful sidebar summary is available at the Eagle as well.)
How did legislators and various other policymakers evaluate the session? Quotables:
“Major progress on a number of fronts,” said House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, an Ingalls Republican.
“Probably the most difficult session in my years as governor,” Sebelius said. “Because there was an attitude of ultimatum.”
“The governor stood in the way,” said Sen. Tim Huelskamp, a Fowler Republican.
“A downhill conversation,” said Marcia Nielsen, director of the state’s Health Policy Authority.
“Hijacked by coal,” said Rep. Pat Colloton, a Leawood Republican.
“A train wreck waiting to happen,” said Rep. Candy Ruff, a Leavenworth Democrat.
The article is a nice re-cap of the legislation that did and did not pass. I’d like to add to the list the anti-stalking bill (I think that passed), the Amanda Bixby bill (which strengthens drunk/ impaired driving laws), the strengthening of the conceal-carry legislation (which in my opinion was pretty strong already), and I am very interested in an addendum to the KS constitution - a right to hunt and fish.
The case law that grows out of that last one should be fascinating. I have high hopes.
Creation care leader Richard Cizik named among Time magazine’s top 100 influential people. In particular, evangelical minister Cizik was recognized for his ability to work with the scientific community (Christian Post). Quotable:
“Science without religion loses its ethical guide, and religion without science lacks the means and resources to understand the world. Science enables us to better understand what creation is telling us about itself and its Maker,” Cizik said in a statement Friday. “This is an approach to the environment that draws on our mutual strengths.”
Random funny thought(s). If we all could just get along a little better… could our politicians then get along better, work faster and more efficiently during legislative sessions, and thus save taxpayer dollars…? 
hey. it’s a theory.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
Leave a Reply