The Kansas legislature passed a renewable energy bill last week with one major caveat. It clears the way for Sunflower Electric Power Corp. to build a new 895-megawatt coal-fired power plant.
Former Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoed four separate bills that would have allowed the company to build two coal-fired plants, despite a landmark decision by state regulators to deny permits based on health and environmental risks associated with greenhouse gas emissions.
However, Sebelius joined the Obama administration as Secretary of Health and Human Services, and her predecessor Governor Mark Parkinson, reportedly began negotiating a compromise right away.
The bill creates a Renewable Energy Standard of 20% by 2020, but critics say the bill, which only applies to publicly owned companies, is full of escape clauses that undermine its effectiveness.
Read Associated Press coverage at the link below.
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