Comments on: GPACE analysis of the provisions of the Governor’s coal plant agreement http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/ Together we can demand a clean energy future! Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:34:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: From Act Green: Kansas Environmentalists Fight Dirty Coal « Bidding the Heartland Adieu http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-266 From Act Green: Kansas Environmentalists Fight Dirty Coal « Bidding the Heartland Adieu Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:41:31 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-266 [...] groups like the Sierra Club and the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy feel the policies are too weak and Kansans would be better served by tapping into the state’s abundant renewable [...] [...] groups like the Sierra Club and the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy feel the policies are too weak and Kansans would be better served by tapping into the state’s abundant renewable [...]

]]> By: Send a Thank You Note to the EPA! « Bidding the Heartland Adieu http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-262 Send a Thank You Note to the EPA! « Bidding the Heartland Adieu Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:38:29 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-262 [...] As most of you know, after two tireless years of debating the construction of two new coal-fired power plants in Southwest Kansas, we could see light at the end of the tunnel. The Kansas legislature wasn’t just two days away from voting to sustain then governor Kathleen Sebelius’s veto on the coal plant legislation, and the votes to hold up her decision were there. Unfortunately, the new governor, Mark Parkinson, didn’t feel like waiting. He signed a back door “compromise” to construct the coal plants in exchange for some weak environmental provisions. [...] [...] As most of you know, after two tireless years of debating the construction of two new coal-fired power plants in Southwest Kansas, we could see light at the end of the tunnel. The Kansas legislature wasn’t just two days away from voting to sustain then governor Kathleen Sebelius’s veto on the coal plant legislation, and the votes to hold up her decision were there. Unfortunately, the new governor, Mark Parkinson, didn’t feel like waiting. He signed a back door “compromise” to construct the coal plants in exchange for some weak environmental provisions. [...]

]]> By: Stephanie http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-207 Stephanie Wed, 13 May 2009 01:33:39 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-207 Very helpful assessment, but also very disappointing after learning the dirty details of this agreement. How did Kansans get the short end of this deal? Very helpful assessment, but also very disappointing after learning the dirty details of this agreement. How did Kansans get the short end of this deal?

]]> By: Simran http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-200 Simran Fri, 08 May 2009 00:57:44 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-200 Thank you for this elucidating assessment. Thank you for this elucidating assessment.

]]> By: Tye Pameticky http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-197 Tye Pameticky Wed, 06 May 2009 18:30:05 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-197 This is very disturbing. It shows our elected officials are NOT willing to do the right thing for Kansas.Once again something to hold the state back from growth. Hopefully something will cause this plan to fail. This plan will cause Kansans to pay the price of health to make money selling power to other states. Very irresponsible. This is very disturbing. It shows our elected officials are NOT willing to do the right thing for Kansas.Once again something to hold the state back from growth. Hopefully something will cause this plan to fail. This plan will cause Kansans to pay the price of health to make money selling power to other states. Very irresponsible.

]]> By: James Bordonaro http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-196 James Bordonaro Wed, 06 May 2009 16:43:01 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-196 I think the idea of only building 1 powerplant with the "option" of a second is a meaningless, and actually counterproductive, concession to those opposed to Sunflower. Any commercial utility will only be viable if the fixed costs of construction and somewhat more variable costs of operation can be spread out by increasing the volume of product/service provided. Either Sunflower is extremely confident they'll get permission for a second unit in two years as they will end up sticking the rate payer for the the fixed costs with only half the output if it's not approved. I think we may have to accept that the new Gov. has a different perspective on the Holcomb issue than Gov. Sebelius and there simply aren't the votes in the Legislature to stop the plan. I don't get the sense that Gov. Parkingson really went to the mat on obtaining concessions from the industry (the RES which only includes commercial utilities in theory wouldn't may note even apply to Sunflower!)(hope I'm wrong about that). The Coal Industry needs to stop running their ads and paying lobbyists in D.C. over Cap and Trade and start thinking of ways to actually remove or sequester the CO2 from their product. Pres. Obama was elected on a platform of Cap and Trade and the time for debate ran out in November. I think the idea of only building 1 powerplant with the “option” of a second is a meaningless, and actually counterproductive, concession to those opposed to Sunflower. Any commercial utility will only be viable if the fixed costs of construction and somewhat more variable costs of operation can be spread out by increasing the volume of product/service provided.

Either Sunflower is extremely confident they’ll get permission for a second unit in two years as they will end up sticking the rate payer for the the fixed costs with only half the output if it’s not approved.

I think we may have to accept that the new Gov. has a different perspective on the Holcomb issue than Gov. Sebelius and there simply aren’t the votes in the Legislature to stop the plan.

I don’t get the sense that Gov. Parkingson really went to the mat on obtaining concessions from the industry (the RES which only includes commercial utilities in theory wouldn’t may note even apply to Sunflower!)(hope I’m wrong about that).

The Coal Industry needs to stop running their ads and paying lobbyists in D.C. over Cap and Trade and start thinking of ways to actually remove or sequester the CO2 from their product. Pres. Obama was elected on a platform of Cap and Trade and the time for debate ran out in November.

]]> By: Mary Helen Korbelik http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-191 Mary Helen Korbelik Wed, 06 May 2009 15:28:29 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-191 I am very disappointed that we are getting this huge 895 MW coal plant that will emit close to 7 million tons of CO2 per year. Global warming is far worse than the scientists previously had thought. Every day there is news such as: melting of the glaciers all over the world; melting at both polls and Greenland; birds, animals and plants moving north because of the heat; more violent storms; mega-forest fires; island people and people in low-lying countries like Bangladesh being inundated by rising oceans. Adding these 7 million tons of CO2 per year for 50 to 75 years is headed in the wrong direction. "Global warming has become such an overriding emergency that some climate experts are willing to consider schemes for partly shielding the planet from the sun's rays" says Scientific American magazine, November 2008. This would be by pumping sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere to deflect the sunlight, or by lofting sea salt into the atmosphere to increase cloud cover. This planetary emergency should mean that no new coal plants should be constructed. I am very disappointed that we are getting this huge 895 MW coal plant that will emit close to 7 million tons of CO2 per year. Global warming is far worse than the scientists previously had thought. Every day there is news such as: melting of the glaciers all over the world; melting at both polls and Greenland; birds, animals and plants moving north because of the heat; more violent storms; mega-forest fires; island people and people in low-lying countries like Bangladesh being inundated by rising oceans. Adding these 7 million tons of CO2 per year for 50 to 75 years is headed in the wrong direction. “Global warming has become such an overriding emergency that some climate experts are willing to consider schemes for partly shielding the planet from the sun’s rays” says Scientific American magazine, November 2008. This would be by pumping sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere to deflect the sunlight, or by lofting sea salt into the atmosphere to increase cloud cover. This planetary emergency should mean that no new coal plants should be constructed.

]]> By: Harry E. Bennett http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-189 Harry E. Bennett Wed, 06 May 2009 14:32:27 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-189 I was very surprised and disappointed by this move by Governor Parkinson. Is there any indication that this proposal has the blessing of former Governor Sebelius? This is a reversal for all the hard work that has gone into opposing the coal plants over the last three years. It is ironic that this news would come at the same time that Seimens has announced the building of a plant in Hutchinson, Kansas for the manufacture of wind turbines. We seem to take as many steps back as we do forward, such is life! I was very surprised and disappointed by this move by Governor Parkinson. Is there any indication that this proposal has the blessing of former Governor Sebelius? This is a reversal for all the hard work that has gone into opposing the coal plants over the last three years. It is ironic that this news would come at the same time that Seimens has announced the building of a plant in Hutchinson, Kansas for the manufacture of wind turbines. We seem to take as many steps back as we do forward, such is life!

]]> By: Katherine Whitson http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-186 Katherine Whitson Wed, 06 May 2009 04:56:17 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-186 I'm moving, I've decided, back to Colorado. I have only been back here for six months and I'm already sick of it. Thanks Mark. I’m moving, I’ve decided, back to Colorado. I have only been back here for six months and I’m already sick of it. Thanks Mark.

]]> By: Jane Gibson http://www.gpace.org/blog/gpace-analysis-of-the-provisions-of-the-governors-coal-plant-agreement/comment-page-1/#comment-185 Jane Gibson Wed, 06 May 2009 01:31:42 +0000 http://www.gpace.org/?p=460#comment-185 Won't this "compromise" plant need a KDHE permit like the two denied did? Won’t this “compromise” plant need a KDHE permit like the two denied did?

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