The wind blows and blows, and the public gest screwed...AGAIN

[srkruzich]

    "The development of the Flat Ridge 2 Wind Farm is an important component to achieving balance in our country's energy production and revitalizing rural Kansas," Gov. Brownback said.  "Our state has a rich abundance of this home-grown, renewable energy and we are happy to add it to our list of Kansas export commodities alongside oil and natural gas, beef and wheat."

Left out of the press release is that Kansas taxpayers once again, in the form of rate increases, will be subsidizing this new "export."


Hit and Run Over by a Kansas Government Going the WRONG WAY
Well, what an interesting, or perhaps more accurately described, dysfunctional and dismal Legislative Session. Though some progress has been made on a few issues, the bulk of major initiatives have been mired while the drama unfolds around redistricting.
The Kansas House completed its redistricting map early in the Session and was set to move on to working bills on education, taxes, budget, social services, etc. The Senate, however, chose a different priority – self-preservation and clinging to power, all at the expense of any meaningful progress on issues important to Kansans.
Liberal Republican senators are making a desperate attempt to maintain control of the Senate. Let's call it Senate President Steve Morris' "Last Stand". Morris, a 20 year incumbent is facing his first serious re-election challenge, and even if he prevails in the fall, is at risk of losing his leadership post should his coalition of liberal Republicans and Democrats not survive the election cycle. As a result, Senate leaders are pulling out all of the stops to draw challengers out of incumbents' districts, giving up whole districts to the Democrats, and even proposed converting the 2nd Congressional District into a Democrat leaning district – all to secure votes for Mr. Morris to remain in power.
Rather than admit to their shenanigans, Senate leaders blame the "process" rather than the people manipulating it. In contrast, the Kansas House map passed with overwhelming bipartisan support – redrawing 125 districts . The Senate needs only to deal with 40 districts, yet at this late hour in the Session continues playing political games.
The fog of redistricting has made other issues less visible, but there are many important issues yet to be addressed. One item overlooked is energy. Now this is a great story! I received notification from KCP&L of a 12.9% rate increase request it has submitted to the Kansas Corporation Commission. Why an increase? Here are the reasons stated by KCP&L:

    a) The addition of our second wind generation facility in Spearville, Kansas, which will help us meet our requirements under the Kansas Renewable Energy Standards Act;
    b) Significant environmental retrofits at the La Cygne power plant that will ensure the facility meets future EPA regulations; and
    c) Increased investment in electrical infrastructure that is necessary to maintain reliable service for KCP&L's Kansas customers.

So, two of the three major reasons for a rate increase are costs directly associated with Federal and State government "Green" energy mandates. Ironically, on the heels of the rate increase notice, I received a media release from the Governor's office titled: 
"Governor Applauds Wind Farm in South Central Kansas"
Umm...KANSAS green energy mandates are singled out as a justification for electrical rate increases, yet Governor Brownback applauds the ground breaking of a new wind farm? Here is a quote from the governor's press release: 

    "The development of the Flat Ridge 2 Wind Farm is an important component to achieving balance in our country's energy production and revitalizing rural Kansas," Gov. Brownback said.  "Our state has a rich abundance of this home-grown, renewable energy and we are happy to add it to our list of Kansas export commodities alongside oil and natural gas, beef and wheat."

Left out of the press release is that Kansas taxpayers once again, in the form of rate increases, will be subsidizing this new "export."
Wind energy isn't the only hot air blowing through the Legislature. After all of the hype surrounding tax reform at the beginning of the Session, expect little more than window dressing. The "march to zero" we were promised has been watered down to a slow jog. A bill is expected from conference committee this week with encouraging changes, but leaves intact a complicated tax code and lacks the promise necessary to achieve the economic vitality expected from earlier proposals. As a result, faster growth plans like the Fair Tax, look at this point to have no hope for House floor debate and vote.

[Patriot]

And yet, so many people are content to elect & re-elect these folks based on friendly faces, friendship & personal pandering rather than on issues & facts.  Of course, understanding the issues and critically evaluating the facts is a lot like work.  Fine.  I guess all of us get what those lazy folks deserve... and vote for.  Blind trust in most human beings (especially politicians) isn't just unwise, it's dangerous.

[jarhead]

Battle grows over extending tax breaks for wind energy producers
By Alicia Acuna

Published May 01, 2012

FoxNews.com


Federal lawmakers warn that states stand to lose wind industry jobs if Congress fails to pass legislation to extend the federal tax break for wind energy producers, known as the production tax credit, which is due to expire at the end of this year.

"We're just not doing our job,' Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said. "We need to get after it."

Bennet and fellow Colorado Democratic Sen. Mark Udall are both concerned that their state alone could lose 6,000 jobs. And according to the American Wind Energy Association, as many as 37,000 manufacturing jobs could be at risk nationwide.

The producer credit helps offset the cost of electricity production during a wind farm's first 10 years. It came about in 1992 when the industry was still finding its legs. It's also something that must be renewed periodically by Congress.

Proponents say if lawmakers wait until the end of 2012 to get this done, the industry risks losing out on potential wind development projects. The thinking being that if a company is considering a new contract, it may hold back. If that happens, then it sets off a domino effect where wind turbine manufacturers and others in the supply chain lose work.

Bennet has co-sponsored a bill in the Senate that would give the credit a two-year extension. The House version calls for four years. Both are moving slowly. In an effort to get it done sooner rather than later, Bennet also has put forward an amendment with a plan to pay for the program, with the help of some Republicans.

"I think that in the overall scheme of things in Washington where the place... (has) really become, I call it 'the land of flickering lights', because the standard of the success there is where we kept the lights on for another two months, and kept the government running for another two months."

Not everyone thinks wind is worth the effort, or the estimated $2 billion to $4 billion it could cost next year.

Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., opposes the the production tax credit. He says he doesn't want taxpayers to be forced to fork over money to prop up the industry.

"At some point wind needs to stand on its own two feet," Lamborn said. "And when it comes to receiving taxpayer subsidies ... it doesn't seem to get to the point where it can stand on its own." He adds that his hope is this alternate energy source finds its way to give consumers more options.

Over the last 20 years, the wind industry has grown to provide on average about 3 percent of power grid electricity nationwide. In some states, it makes up almost a quarter.

"Washington does not do a good job of picking winners and losers. In fact, it usually picks losers," Lamborn said.

In response, Bennet's office says, "Many opponents of the wind tax support federal subsidies for other energy industries, including some for the largest oil companies."

The production tax credit helps developers of wind farms, which power the businesses of companies like Vestasm a wind turbine manufacturer with production and research located in Colorado. The company has indicated layoffs could be become a reality without the extension.

Tony Knopp, the general manager for Vestas Towers, recently made a rare media appearance and explained the value of America's investment in this renewable.

"We don't use water in our process, we don't have to worry about anything to do with water, and water shortages," he said. That was an apparent reference to hydraulic fracturing, which is used in to extract oil and gas from the ground.

Bennet says this is still an emerging industry and provides jobs manufacturing jobs his and other states can't afford to lose.

[srkruzich]

The biggest problem i have is that we are paying for the subsidizing of these windfarms.  AND never receive anything from it as all the energy produce is exported out of the state.  So these windfarms produce money for the company.  THEN ON TOP OF IT, they are wanting to hike our rates 12% more in our electric bill. So we are paying at least twice for something we do not get!

[Patriot]

The biggest problem i have is that we are paying for the subsidizing of these windfarms.  AND never receive anything from it as all the energy produce is exported out of the state.  So these windfarms produce money for the company.  THEN ON TOP OF IT, they are wanting to hike our rates 12% more in our electric bill. So we are paying at least twice for something we do not get!

And beyond one time manufacturing & installation by mostly non-local labor, there's little left in the way of local jobs.  While PILOT and property taxes are nice, even those are largely born by one form of taxpayer/consumer subsidy or another.  The big winners.... multinationals.  And in our local case, a multinational whose parent is no even a US company.  Your welcome, Spain.

[Warph]

The biggest problem i have is that we are paying for the subsidizing of these windfarms.  AND never receive anything from it as all the energy produce is exported out of the state.  So these windfarms produce money for the company.  THEN ON TOP OF IT, they are wanting to hike our rates 12% more in our electric bill. So we are paying at least twice for something we do not get!

Yep... wind farms suck!!!!!!  Not only hitting us in our wallet, they are unsightly and kill our birds.  You cannot drive to CA without passing hundred of these monstrousities standing on beautiful landscape hills.. 75% NOT WORKING! ... at least the birds aren't getting sliced up from them.  To see how many from the air, off the beaten path you would not believe.  Again, a great share NOT WORKING!