Officials see challenges for Kan. wind energy

Eds: UPDATES with discussion from the energy summit, ADDS background.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- State and federal officials say Kansas has great potential for developing wind power but lacks enough transmission lines to spur further development of renewable energy.

At a gathering Tuesday in Lawrence, more than 100 energy policy-makers and advocates heard that current transmission lines are near capacity. The lack of available capacity makes it difficult to move wind energy generated in the western areas of Kansas to larger cities and towns in the east.

Gov. Mark Parkinson said the federal government can help by offering more guidance on renewable energy development and helping getting transmission lines built.

"What we know from our experience here in Kansas is that no single state and no single utility has the resources to solve this problem," Parkinson said. "It is only going to be solved on a very large regional basis and ultimately on a national basis."

A federal energy official said authorities need more power to decide where and how to build transmission lines across state borders, much like it does with natural gas pipelines. Phil Moeller of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said the desire for cleaner, renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions was driving wind energy projects.

"The wind industry is fundamentally changing the (energy) industry," Moeller said.

Policy-makers said that while half of the wind energy in the United States comes from the region, half of the demand is in the eastern states. That means more high-capacity transmission lines are needed to get the power where there is greatest demand.

"Wind is in a bottleneck and will continue to be in a bottleneck until the gap is filled," said state Rep. Carl Holmes, a Republican House member from Liberal and chairman of the Kansas Electric Transmission Authority.

Kansas has made progress in building more transmission lines. Earlier this year, utility companies reached a settlement allowing for a high-voltage transmission line to run through Kansas from Nebraska to Oklahoma.

A project from Wichita to Spearville in the south has been tentatively designated a priority project by the Southwest Power Pool, which could speed its development. Parkinson said traditional means for financing transmission and energy development need to be reworked to expedite renewable projects.

"If we fail in this transmission work, in connecting western Kansas and eastern Kansas, there will literally be years of work that will be undone," he said.

Moeller said FERC needs more authority to approve and develop the transmission lines for the nation to realize its renewable energy potential and meet growing demands for power.

"Can we live under the current system? Absolutely. Will we get a lot of transmission (lines) built? I don't think so," Moeller said.

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Information from: The Lawrence Journal-World: http://www.ljworld.com