They Can''t Do Without Coal Power:Kansas Must Have Coal Power:
Kansas Senate sends coal plant bill to Sebelius
By DAVID KLEPPER
The Star’s Topeka correspondent
TOPEKA | A bill clearing the way for a western Kansas power plant expansion now heads to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and her veto pen.
The Kansas Senate gave final approval to the bill Thursday with a 31-7 vote. The bill would strip the power a state regulator used last year to reject Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s expansion and would allow Sunflower to seek another permit.
Final passage of the bill sets up a veto showdown between the Legislature and Sebelius, who opposes the bill. All eyes are on the House, where supporters of the legislation are working to muster the two-thirds majority required to withstand a veto.
The hot political fight over the coal-burning plant reflects a national debate over fossil fuels, global climate change and the nation’s energy future. States across the country are investing in more renewable energy while coal — plentiful, cheap but increasingly controversial — faces an uncertain future.
Supporters say that the plant is vital to western Kansas and that the regulator’s rejection of it was invalid. They say they’re not willing to lose a $3.6 billion economic investment because of a still-controversial scientific theory.
But environmental groups say that coal supporters are behind the times and that the state should instead invest in conservation and renewable energies such as wind.
Sebelius, a Democrat, has said she will veto the bill, which she argues does little for renewable energy while rolling back environmental safeguards.
The governor has up to 10 days to issue her veto once she formally receives the bill in the next few days.
“It’s really not a question of if she’ll veto, but when,” according to Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran.
Unless coal plant supporters in the House persuade several lawmakers to switch sides, Sebelius may have the upper hand. Overriding a veto won’t be a problem in the Senate, but the House is currently several votes short of the 84-vote threshold.
The House’s final vote on the bill Wednesday was 75-47. Lawmakers in the House can expect intense pressure in the next several days.
“If they don’t get 84 over there, it doesn’t matter what we do,” said Sen. Jay Emler, a Lindsborg Republican and a key supporter of the legislation.
Sunflower officials have said that if they don’t have the legislation in place by June, plans for the plant may be scrapped.
If the expected veto stands, it’s likely the debate could continue throughout the session. Sebelius has offered a compromise to Sunflower: Build one of the two generators and incorporate more renewable energy and conservation projects. Sunflower has said it needs both generators to make the project work.
The debate and politics surrounding the plant expansion have dominated the legislative session. It’s of particular concern to the two top lawmakers — House Speaker Melvin Neufeld and Senate President Steve Morris, who come from western Kansas.
On Thursday, Sebelius said she fears Neufeld is using unrelated legislation to barter for additional votes on the plant.
“He seems to be inviting a legislative auction on a very important policy decision,” Sebelius told The Associated Press. “I think their constituents would be disappointed that they would be playing ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ with energy policy.”
Neufeld has denied that he’s holding up progress on issues for the plant bill. “I have not asked one person to give me a vote,” he said.
Even so, it hardly would be the first time lawmakers made deals on unrelated bills in exchange for support on key issues.
“The economy of Kansas is what’s at stake here,” Neufeld said. “Until we get this power plant settled, nobody is going to build anything in Kansas that requires an air permit.”
Sunflower and its legislative supporters say Kansas Health and Environment Secretary Rod Bremby went too far by using his discretion to reject the expansion even though it met all state and federal environmental regulations.
The expansion would add two 700-megawatt coal-burning generators to an existing 360-megawatt plant in Holcomb, Kan.
In October, Bremby cited the expansion’s estimated 11 million tons in carbon emissions as his justification.
Sunflower president and CEO Earl Watkins noted that the legislation has bipartisan support in both chambers and that it also includes a series of provisions designed to study future energy needs and expand renewable energy.
The bill includes some modest green initiatives, including new energy efficiency standards for state buildings, creation of an energy commission, rules for power plant technology, mercury pollution standards, and a provision to allow those with solar panels to sell surplus power to their utility.
The bill also contains a requirement for most energy companies to increase their overall percentage of electricity coming from wind to 10 percent by 2012 and 20 percent by 2020.
ON THE WEB
To read the bill, go to www.kslegislature.org. The bill is SB 327.