My excellent adventure in the Kansas capitol building

Yesterday I attended a meeting in the big house in Topeka, sponsored by Kansans for Wind Energy.  2 weeks ago bill 2241 was poised to undermine the attraction of wind energy in the state that ranks in the top 5 for potential and for actual projects and for some of the lowest prices due to the frequency of generation (how much it blows).  Thanks to a group of farmers who profit from it, towns and counties who profit from it, local and national tree hugger groups, and a few people who understand it is actually a good deal, it was defeated in the Senate and the house pulled it.  Ah, success.  Nope.  It’s coming back next week, and it looks like it will pass.  How can that be?  Who are the opponents?  

Almost all opponents of wind energy in Kansas are from out of state and all of them are think tanks and political action groups backed by coal, oil, and the uber wealthy, ALEC, Norquist and his various groups, Koch sponsored groups.

The energy companies attended the meeting.  They oppose 2241, but are reluctant to lobby for it, but they did attend and answer questions about their newest wind contracts and these costs are lower than conventional sources.  The new language when 2241 comes back to the floor will (apparently) cause the utilities to do a study (not sure yet what) but the utilities say this will cost a lot, it will be passed on to users.  The proponents of making wind less attractive appear to be on track to raise utility rates through increasing expense to utilities and by slowing the growth of low cost energy.

One person spoke who is involved in a wind farm that is beginning construction next month, the wholesale contracts for this power is going for 2.2 to 2.4 cents Kwh.  That is another new low for energy, only a few months ago contracts for the newest system sold for 3.5 cents turning heads across the country. 

After the meeting I visited some state congressmen and senators.  All republicans, Kansas is 70%+ red.  They tell me this time it will go through, those who voted against it last time don’t want another round of abuse.  One told me not enough will buck the agenda, don’t get on the list of readers and thinkers, just vote with the herd and keep moving.  

As I said most the oppositon to wind comes from out of state.  Some even suspect Nebraska, there are some huge wind farms in the planning stage to ship energy to cities in the east, and Nebraska wants them, the income to the local economy is incredible, royalties, construction, then jobs to maintain it.  But the real weakness is in Kansas it’s self.  There are some under the dome which are fanatical against it.  Some think it’s part of the global warming hoax and they have to fight it somehow, if they can keep a smokestack huffing and stop a windmill then do it.  Many object to the production tax credit from the federal government.  With one I visited he went on and on about this, I finally told him, that’s interesting, but that is not what you can vote on, the PTC is federal not state, your vote is a question - will you support construction, counties and land owners opportunity to harvest profit off the wind and benefit the state as a whole.   He ask me could I benefit if they put a turbine on my property, I said yes if it ever happens, he then barked “we shouldn’t be voting to benefit anyone”.  Shit, that’s all he does and he knows it, but… OK I don’t think I turned him, still as I left the office I thanked him and ask him to vote against 2241.   Then there are those who think wind is raising their rates, they just go with the bullshit misinformation ALEC and the committee heads tell them, as I noted above the prices are falling. 

But the whole thing is surreal, Pope Brownback is for wind, has said he will protect it, knows full well it provides millions of cash ever week into local economies and thousands of jobs statewide.  Will he veto it?  Some say yes, some say no it’s too expensive politically to be seen as a tree hugger.   If this passes, it won't halt wind energy development here, but it will slow it, and counties trying to lure business here say the big corporations have green energy on their shopping list, if we put up a hurdle, other states have the advantage in recruiting.

Least you think they don’t do anything, while I was there they did the following: **Pass a teacher can have guns in the school, guns can go into any state building, state colleges cut additional 10% (after 3 or 4 years of 5% cuts each), **illegal to deduct union dues from paycheck or bank transfer union dues from payrolls,  **cut income tax (2^nd cut in a few months) ((I don’t pay income tax now, farm income exempt, small business income exempt, both my sources, I’m a frigg’n job creator you can’t expect me to pay for a new bridge, let the workers pay), **raise sales tax,  **eliminate mortgage deduction on house keep it on rental property.  They also continue to work on the 3^rd or 4^th laws this year to complicate and restrict abortion.   

An excellent adventure.