Here we go again.

Today, after weeks of debate about energy policy in the Kansas legislature, we found out what comprehensive energy policy for Kansas is worth to Sunflower Electric and their special interest allies: Nothing.

HB 2182 – introduced on Tuesday – would change the law and gut the agency that protects the health and environment of all Kansans in order to benefit a single company (Sunflower) and force the construction of two coal plants in Kansas. You’ll remember, they tried to force these coal plants to be permitted last year – and lost. Apparently, if you are a special interest that can’t win with votes in Kansas – you just change the law to suit you.

HB 2182 makes it absolutely clear that the active proponents of the coal fired power plants at Holcomb (esp. Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas Rural Electric Cooperatives, and Republican leadership in both houses of the legislature) are focused only on a narrow set of goals:  (1) force the state to issue air quality permits for the two proposed 700 MW coal fired plants, and (2) dismantle the regulatory agency responsible for protecting our health and environment. This would, of course, undermine the current governor’s efforts to make Kansas competitive in the renewable energy economy.

So, one company gets two coal plants to make energy we don’t even need. The rest of Kansas gets 11,000,000 tons more CO2; more mercury, ozone, particulates, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides in our air: and a hamstrung regulatory body responsible for the health and environment of ALL Kansans. Apparently these business “experts” want Kansas to stay at the BACK of the line for federal green stimulus funds and the benefits of the renewable energy economy.

We’ve had enough. Kansans have moved on. We are ready to act.

It’s time to let our voices be heard again.

We will be identifying the key legislators who need to hear from you, their constituents, on this critical issue. Send this information to your friends, family, and colleagues – encourage them to join GPACE online at www.gpace.org so we can reach them with alerts, actions, and information.

The rule of law belongs to all Kansans and to future generations, not just the special interests.

Scott Allegrucci

Director