News: State reaches agreement to enable one coal plant to be built at Holcomb (Olathe: 2009)

[GraniteStater]

State reaches agreement to enable one coal plant to be built at Holcomb / LJWorld.com

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

State reaches agreement to enable one coal plant to be built at Holcomb / LJWorld.com

In Coal Blood?

[thriftylefty]

The power plant in or around Lacyne KS seems to have no lasting economic effect on the area. That has got to be the poorest county in the state. I know the unemployment rate there is as bad as Wyabdotte county. I think the number of people it takes to build those things is a fraction of the number it takes to run it.

[quesera]

I wonder how long this was in the works? It's quite a coincidence that it was approved within a week of Sebelius being out of the Governor's seat.

[Mercator Projection]

The new Governor was at KU a couple of weeks ago (he was still Lt Gov at the time) and the topic of his speech was basically, "we can't legislate our way out of the climate change problem, scientists will have to invent a solution." In fact, he was quite sure that science WOULD invent a solution. The audience was dominated by scientists (students and researchers) and he probably thought his words would be accepted as an encouraging pat on the back - "Go get 'em Tiger!" But they weren't. The Q&A session was aggressive, but he stayed on message.

I honestly thought he was laying the groundwork for allowing the coal power plants to be built. Afterall, why NOT poop in the nest when by 2020 we will have figured out a way to clean it all up? This is a clear case of the Innovation Fallacy - despite the gov's buoyant "optimism," there is absolutely no guarantee that a solution will ever be invented.

I will give the new Governor this: He did acknowledge that climate change was real and the text of his speech seemed to put a premium on science and research. That is more than I can say for most (any?) Kansas Republicans, which Parkinson was from 1990-2006.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

In Coal Blood?

I think that Sunflower took advantage of the fact that Sebeilus was leaving. Parkinson is what I would call a typical pro-business Olathe individual.
I really don't think this coal plant is a good idea for the long-term other than the short term economic stimulus via construction jobs.
Coal power produces lots of undesirable elements including: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury, radiation, and carbon dioxide. Also, cap and trade is coming so the ratepayers will pay the price for this short-term thinking by Sunflower IMO.
I would have liked to see a further expansion in wind energy, nuclear, and natural gas myself. Kansans don't need to be exporting greater than 85% of the electricity generated from dirty coal to Colorado. Colorado should find ways to increase capacity, efficiency, etc instead of dumping the burden on Kansas.

[Modron]

How many times has anyone EVER seen "conservatives" in the Kansas legislature live up to their end of compromise?

I respect Parkinson's effort at compromise, but sooner rather than later the conservatives will be moving their forces beyond the boundaries of the Swat Valley.