by Eileen Horn
Okay, okay, full disclosure: 100 people came out for the annual BBQ in Mayetta, KS this past Saturday. But, with a population of 312, that’s a pretty decent turnout!
This year, Mayor Jonathan Wimer wanted a new focus for Mayetta’s annual BBQ: Energy.
As Mayor Wimer put it, “The point of the BBQ and Energy Expo is this: First, to help the people of Mayetta save money on their energy bills. Second, it’s to learn about energy efficiency and renewable energy businesses in Jackson county that they can support.” Mayor Wimer arranged presentations at City Hall for the morning, and then an “Energy Expo” with representatives from CEP, Westar Energy, Smalley Heating and Air, and Kansas Wind Power.
As CEP’s representative at the Expo, I got to talk to many Mayetta residents about their energy concerns. While many residents wanted the energy conservation tips I was handing out, the main questions I received were about wind energy – at all scales.
Mayetta is located on Hwy 75 North of Topeka, and many residents commented on the number of commercial wind turbines passing by town on their way to wind projects in Kansas and Nebraska. Residents were curious about the final destination of these blades and the number of wind projects Kansas currently has.
Also, residents were very interested in State Representative Rocky Fund’s presentation of federal and state incentives for small wind systems. Mayetta residents were visibly frustrated after the talk, as they learned that Kansas lacks a net metering policy that would allow owners of small wind turbines to sell excess energy back to their utility. Forty-three other states have net metering policies.
For me, the day’s highlights occurred during two unlikely conversations:
- The first was with a 65 year-old landowner and lifetime resident of Mayetta. This gentleman was frustrated with the current energy costs, and the lack of policies in Kansas to support landowners who want small wind energy systems. When I asked him why he was concerned about energy, I was expecting a response that matched my prejudgment of him: A response about economics, about energy independence, etc. What I got: “Well, because of global warming. Climate change is happening, and we have to do something about it.
- The second highlight came from a conversation with a 12 year-old boy asking about wind turbines. We talked for awhile about how they work, but then he seemed bored, and took off on his bike to chase some friends down the street. Later in the day, he passed with his family, and as his mom blew off my offer for some energy tips handouts, the boy paused and said, “Wait mom, you should really check this out. It’s actually pretty cool.”
I think they’re both on to something.
— Eileen Horn, www.climateandenergy.org
How They Voted: The House’s sine die vote on tax credits for wind turbine manufacturer
June 10, 2008
As many of our readers know, at sine die the Kansas House had a chance to extend tax credits that would have helped bring a major wind manufacturer to Kansas. The vote failed, 47-49. 63 votes were needed for passage.
Here’s how they voted.
Yeas – votes for wind and economic development: Ballard, Burgess, Burroughs, Colloton, Crow, Faust-Goudeau, Feuerborn, Flora, Frownfelter, Fund, Garcia, Gatewood, Gordon, Goyle, Grant, Henderson, Henry, Hill, Holland, Keuther, Lane, Loganbill, Long, Lukert, Mah, Mast, McKinney, McLachlan, Moxley, Neighbor, Palmer, Patton, Pauls, Peterson, Phelps, Rardin, Ruiz, Sawyer, Storm, Swenson, Tietze, Treaster, Trimmer, Ward, Wetta, Williams, Winn
Nays – votes against: Beamer, Bethell, Bowers, Brunk, Carlson, Colyer, Dahl, DeGraaf, Donohoe, Faber, Hayzlett, C Holmes, M Holmes, Horst, Huebert, Humerickhouse, Huntingdon, Kelley, Kelsey, King, Knox, Light, Masterson, McLeland, Metsker, Jim Morrison, Judy Morrison, Myers, Neufeld, O’Neal, Olson, Otto, Peck, Pottorff, Powell, Proehl, Quigley, Rhoades, Ruff, Schroeder, Schwartz, Shultz, Siegfried, Spalding, Tafanelli, Vickrey, Watkins, Wilk, Worle
One (Kinzer) was present but did not vote. 28 were absent or did not vote: Aurand, Brown, Carlin, Craft, Crum, Davis, Dillmore, Flaharty, George, Goico, Grange, Hawk, Johnson, Kiegerl, Landwehr, McCray-Miller, Menghini, Merrick, Owens, Roth, Schwab, Sloan, Svaty, Swanson, Whitham, B Wolf, K Wolf, Yoder.
— Maril Hazlett, www.climateandenergy.org
