Stand Up for Kansas Wind Power

Kansas currently has a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policy in place that calls on the state’s utility companies to secure a growing percentage of their electricity from renewable resources.  The specific target that they are working toward are:

  • 10% in 2011-2015
  • 15% in 2016-2019
  • 20% by 2020

Several Kansas utility companies have already met the interim RPS targets – and others have far exceeded them.  There is no need to slow down the progress that the RPS has made, and drive the billions of dollars in private investment and thousands of jobs that Kansas has realized from its recent wind energy development to other states.
 
The Kansas Corporation Commission issued a Retail Rate Impact Report on March 1, 2013, which said:
 
“The rate impact of the RES is about 0.16 cents per kWh—that is RES energy counts for about 0.16 cents kWh of the about 9.2 cents per kWh retail electricity cost in 2012 across the state. Thus, meeting the RES requires less than 2% of the revenue requirement of the utilities while supplying more than 10% of the generation capacity in the state.”
 
According to a report released last November, last year alone, $3 billion of private money was invested in Kansas wind projects.  Other highlights from the report:

  • Many of Kansas’ farmers and ranchers lease land to wind project developers, and they receive $13 million annually in return. 
  • In addition to wind project development, Kansas has seen wind-related manufacturers set up shop in the state, adding to the 13,000 jobs that the Kansas wind industry supports directly and indirectly. 
  • The Kansas Corporation Commission has stated, “Natural gas, coal, and wholesale power prices have all experienced significant volatility and upward trending costs. Wind generation provides value as insurance for customers from some of the effects of unexpectedly high and volatile fuel and wholesale energy prices.”

Please contact your state-level elected officials today.  Start by entering your zip code below.  Tell them that the state RPS policy is driving clean, homegrown, affordable wind power in Kansas, and you do not want to see that progress derailed.  We have created a template email for you, but encourage you to personalize it, as your unique words will have a more lasting impact on your legislator.

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