Good job, governor
If this is the way newly installed Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson is going to conduct business -- we're all in. After all, he was able to accomplish in one week what his predecessor, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, couldn't do in 19 months.
We refer to the compromise deal put together by Parkinson and Hays-based Sunflower Electric that will allow a coal-fired power plant to be built in Finney County. The surprise agreement between the new governor and Sunflower CEO Earl Watkins also will put an end to the legislative-executive standoff, lead to the withdrawal of lawsuits, provide clearer definitions about the role of the secretary of Kansas Department of Health and Environment, provide needed power for the national electric grid, construct transmission lines that can be used for alternative energy sources, drive up the need for alternative energy, develop cleaner coal power and put in place much-needed economic development during both the construction and operational phases of the plant.
Despite the obligatory protest from the Sierra Club, which we do not demean in any fashion, this deal is win-win for Kansas with tremendous benefits in both the short and long terms.
Provided a comprehensive energy bill makes it into law, Sunflower will be allowed to build an 895-megawatt power plant near Holcomb. It's not the twin 700 MW plants the utility company sought, but it's enough power to make the project worth pursuing. In exchange, Sunflower (and other utilities) will need to generate 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Sunflower also agreed to use new, cleaner technology and to pursue other measures to offset potential carbon-dioxide emissions. And the utility promised to develop wind energy.
The pact also states the KDHE secretary cannot impose any emissions standards tougher than existing federal standards without approval of the Legislature. It was Secretary Rod Bremby's rather unilateral decision to regulate greenhouse gases that led to his denial of the plant's permit in the first place.
"It lays the groundwork for a sound energy policy in the future," Parkinson said at a news conference announcing the compromise Monday.
We agree. Because like it or not, coal will continue to be a primary source of power for the foreseeable future. It will be decades, perhaps many decades, before alternative sources are reliable and cost-efficient enough to replace the fossil fuel.
So what changed?
Sunflower's Watkins said the primary differences between this deal and a compromise offered by Sebelius last year was 300 megawatts, no limit on out-of-state sales, and no substantial cost of making the plant carbon-capture ready (which nobody can really define at this point).
The other element was the change in the governor's office. Perhaps Sebelius had dug in her heels too far with the environmental crowd to ever propose something that would be palatable to the utility. Perhaps Parkinson knew an override was extremely likely without die-hard Democrats leery of going against Sebelius. Perhaps state revenues have sunk low enough that an economic boost of this size was just too big to ignore. Perhaps there was recognition the EPA won't be able to develop national standards for greenhouse gas emissions for quite some time.
Whatever the reason, we're grateful. Kansas needs this project. We're pleased Gov. Parkinson understands that reality -- and we applaud his decisive, expeditious leadership.
Editorial by Patrick Lowry