For the second time in less than a month, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoed legislation that would have overturned a decision by her administration to deny permits for two new coal-fired power plants.
SB 148 was primarily back by sate Republicans, guaranteeing that the ongoing tug-o’-war over the state’s energy future will become even more heated.
"Legislators who promote the expansion of coal-fired plants in Kansas made a strategic decision with SB 148," said Sebelius. "Rather than working toward a compromise solution or having any conversation about energy policy, this bill was drafted behind closed doors. It contains the same onerous elements of the previous bill that I vetoed; and again, these are elements I cannot accept and will not support."
"This maneuver has done nothing to address the issues at hand – developing comprehensive energy policy, providing base-load energy power for Western Kansas, implementing carbon mitigation strategies and capitalizing on our incredible assets for additional wind power," Sebelius added.
Supporters of the SB148 say the state needs additional power. However opponents note that 85% of the power that would be produced by the proposed coal plants would be sent out of state, making the excessive pollution even more undesirable to Kansas citizens.
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