Issue Position: Energy

Issue Position

n 2009, I supported HB 2367 which approved Sunflower Electric Corporation's permit for constructing a new state of the art coal fired power plant at their Holcomb facility. The construction of this plant, using funds from private investors, was projected to inject $3.5 billion into our Kansas economy. The jobs created by this project would have been high paying jobs. This plant would have secured energy needs for Kansas far into the future. It would have provided the infrastructure for wind energy expansion and it would generate additional revenue for the state. Unfortunately EPA restrictions and bureaucratic hurtles have stalled the plants expansion and in some cases threatened its very existence. Holcomb expansion is likely to remain stalled unless there are some drastic changes in Washington in 2012.
The comprehensive Energy Expansion bill requires 20% of our energy to come from renewable sources by 2020. This compromise was made with Governor Parkinson in order to get this bill passed. Energy produced by gas and coal is less expensive than energy produced by wind. Wind energy is more than twice as expensive to produce and it's less dependable. Wind generators can only produce energy when the wind is blowing and that only happens 38% of the time. Wind will never be a base source of energy production. It's simply a supplemental source and an expensive one at that.
The companies that produce our energy have indicated that energy rates will be increasing. The reason is because those companies must meet the 20% alternative energy production deadline of 2020. I want Kansas and America to unleash our natural energy resources. Energy needs to be affordable and plentiful because it touches every part of our lives, our food, clothing, cars, houses, everything we purchase has an energy cost. To me development of our energy resources and becoming energy independent is not only an issue of affordability, it's a national security issue. We simply must not be dependant on foreign countries for our energy needs, especially countries that bear us ill will.

August is hot in Kansas. When campaigning, going door to door, I have heard those central air conditioners running and I would be thinking, how cool it must be inside those homes. From house to house I could hear those air conditioners condenser units humming. When you're out in the heat that sound calls to you, come inside, come inside. I love my air conditioner too. Folks we have the energy resources. We simply must make sure that we develop those resources in order to meet our future needs and keep energy cost down.

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