Kansas coal plant

Thank goodness common sense has returned to Kansas government. Gov. Mark Parkinson’s compromise with Sunflower Electric Power to build a coal-fired plant in Kansas in exchange for green power initiatives is a good step forward for Kansans.

Kathleen Sebelius did not represent the majority of Kansans in constantly opposing the power plant. She would rather we pay high energy costs and further put this country in debt to the Chinese, who already own too much of our national debt. The Chinese are building coal plants at a rapid rate and are not using the clean-air technologies that this plant will use.

Clean air is desirable, but why should the U.S. bear an inordinate share of the cost for it when we are already in debt to foreigners? All the major nations should agree on common clean air policies and practices for coal plants first, then proceed forward on this common ground.

Mark up a victory for the people of Kansas!
Al Voorhees
La Cygne, Kan.

David Anderson and Mary Helen Korbelik (5/10, Letters) presented cogent and well-documented arguments against building a coal-fired power plant in western Kansas. Unfortunately, using logic and overwhelming evidence to convince people who still refuse to believe that human activity plays a major role in global warming is about as useful as buying books for chimpanzees.

So let’s look at the economics. The Great Plains region, which includes Kansas, has such an abundance of wind that it could become the Saudi Arabia of wind power. Investing in wind power and its supporting infrastructure will create numerous jobs and pay dividends well into the future. A future carbon emissions tax will make the economic case for wind even more compelling.

Mike Mendon
Gladstone

Comments

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Really Matthew Beyond Any HAving IQ.
Well A.I.D.S. costs a fortune too, I would imagine you are not for augmenting sodomy?
Strees related illness and death are one of the biggest concerns, betcha don't give a squat about that though.
Strees from having your earnings confiscated, blackouts due to flunkie lawyers and stoners like you that can not even figure out a btu or a kwh.
You ever been to a super-critical or an ultra-super critical? Do you even know what they are? What about an SCR? CAn you explain which is nmore detrimental to the ozone, CO2 or CH4?

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

I get it just fine. How many of these projects have you actually work on?
Again, wind is not efficient nor sustainable. It is not a base load energy, neither is solar. We ALREADY implement robust amounts of renewables and are continuing to do so. So where will all of the direct and anciallry industries and companies work if we shutdown coal?
I was unaware that wind turbines and solar pnaels had boilers and piping. The cost of wind is also a concern and it has nothing to do with how far along the technology is, wind power has been around long before the discovery of electricity. If Spain is so great, move there.

[Matthew Wright Beyond Zero Emissions]

This is a disaster - coal costs a fortune - Lung Disease, Heart Disease - steals water from agriculture, the environment, rural and domestic users.

Wind Power is the cheapest dispatch and we've got concentrating solar with storage (Torresol, Andasol, Solar Reserve, eSolar) to provide 24x7 firming power for when the wind drops off. Seems some people here don't get it.

We've also got iberdrola renewables in Spain installing 1200MW pumped hydro via 4 small dams, providing firming power for wind. Most electricity usage is in the day when Solar Thermal with storage plants work the best.

Search "Andasol" "Torresol" "Solar Reserve" on youtube to see the videos

[Stifled Freedom]

I think the deal is that they also build wind and solar farms. Now, whether or not they operate them is another matter.

[Stifled Freedom]

I think the deal is that they also build wind and solar farms. Now, whether or not they operate them is another matter.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

The "case' for wind is not a case, it is simple math and science. Wind is not a base load energy resource, hence it can not be a stand alone. Unfortunately a large number of morns do not understand coal technology, go research what an ultra-super critical is, also look at the robust and expansive policies Bush and previous admins put in place. Surely Obama and Biden will attempt to steal the credit for renewable and cleaner energy technology that was implemented BEFORE they were even thought of as viable turds. This is not the first wind project nor the last in Kansas, just so the boneheads that think they are so up to date on energy and economic policy.
The other interesting facet is the large number of jobs and anciallry industries that coal provides jobs to and for. When coal goes, you will see unemployment spike as skilled trade crumble along with the unions in those trades along with all of the great paying jobs companies in the energy and industria sector provide.
No worries, all of these people can go get goernment jobs, Planned ParentintheHood or work for ACORN.

[Kee]

Thanks Mike for the standard "green weenie" letter of the day. Get on your bike, pedal your ass off out to the Flint Hills, and blow.

[Marctnts]

Lots of comments to go around:

"Gov. Mark Parkinson’s compromise with Sunflower Electric Power to build a coal-fired plant in Kansas in exchange for green power initiatives is a good step forward for Kansans."

A agree. Like I've said, you know you're probably on the right track when you've got the extremists from both sides of the issue mad about the outcome.

"She would rather we pay high energy costs and further put this country in debt to the Chinese, who already own too much of our national debt. The Chinese are building coal plants at a rapid rate and are not using the clean-air technologies that this plant will use."

I guess Al heard something new on the radio that he wanted to use, but what on earth does he think US consumer energy prices (derived from coal or wind, both domestic resources) have to do with the level of treasury bonds held by the Chinese government. Does he think Ma and Pa Kettle in western Kansas are issuing their own bonds to pay the light bill?

"All the major nations should agree on common clean air policies and practices for coal plants first, then proceed forward on this common ground."

I'd say that's what many nations have been trying to do for a while know. While seriously flawed (and rightfully unsigned), the Kyoto Protocol is a good example of the multi-national attempt Al thinks is a new idea. Maybe he was just talking about a global approach that only adheres to the US position on issues.

"...who still refuse to believe that human activity plays a major role in global warming is about as useful as buying books for chimpanzees."

That's right, declaring the argument settled and belittling the unbaptised is always a great way to make you feel better about your own argument. I wonder if the "coming ice age" folks from the 70's thought the same tactics were effective.

"A future carbon emissions tax will make the economic case for wind even more compelling."

I'd guess that market forces will make the case for wind compelling, but something tells me that a guy like Mike has never met a sin tax he didn't like.