Reprinted in full from the Eagle:
MARK PARKINSON: MOVE PAST FAILED PROPOSAL
In response to the commentary by Earl Watkins, CEO of Sunflower Electric Power Corp. (”Holcomb would help supply base-load power,” Sept. 26 Opinion): Last year Sunflower Electric insisted that we build two large coal plants for Colorado and Texas. In return, Kansas would get 100 percent of the pollution, give up 100 percent of the water and only get 15 percent of the electricity.
Sunflower told us this was necessary to keep electric rates low. Sunflower is wrong. Its ratepayers would have to pay — not only for the health costs associated with coal plants but for the financial costs of future federal carbon regulation.
Sunflower told us that without the coal plant, transmission lines would never be built in Kansas. Sunflower was wrong. For the first time in 30 years, there are five transmission projects in development.
Sunflower told us that without the new transmission, we wouldn’t have new wind farms built in Kansas. But in two short years, we have nearly tripled our wind power in Kansas from 364 megawatts to 1,013 megawatts by the end of 2008.
Sunflower told us that without its coal plant, Kansas wouldn’t have enough base-load power. But according to Sunflower’s own documents, it has enough base-load power to last until the year 2019, at which point it would be short only 176 megawatts.
Sunflower’s argument has been reduced to this: Because we need 176 megawatts of power 10 years from now, we must immediately build 1,400 megawatts for Colorado and Texas.
By Sunflower’s own admission, even if the company built these plants, Kansas will still need power in the future. I think we should take care of Kansas customers and Kansas power needs first.
In the next 10 years, Kansas customers will need about another 600 megawatts of power. That is why Gov. Kathleen Sebelius offered Sunflower a compromise: Let’s build a smaller plant that places Kansas’ energy needs first, while still generating some power for export. Sunflower rejected that proposal.
It’s time for Sunflower Electric to move past the failed proposals of the past and move forward toward a new business model, one that recognizes the changing market in fossil fuels and embraces Kansas — its wind, its customers and its future.
Lt. Gov. MARK PARKINSON
Topeka
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