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Energy on the High Plains
Carbon dioxide regulation
In Holcomb, KS, the Sunflower Electric Power Corporation wants to expand its power facility by adding two more 700-megawatt generating coal units. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment denied Sunflower's permit last year. KDHE secretary Roderick Bremby cited the harms of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases in his refusal to grant the permit. Currently there are not regulations on CO2 emissions, which are thought to contribute to global warming.If left to the Environmental Protection Agency, regulating co2 emissions could be drawn out by litigation. EPA spokesman Jonathan Shradar says it's better left to Congress.
Shradar: A much better way is if congress were to act and regulate carbon holistically taking into account the balance we must draw with our economy and as this affects every sector, every individual is tied to carbon emissions somehow so we need to regulate that in a fashion that balances our economic concerns and balances growth with protecting our environment.
Shradar referenced the economy twice. It's a major concern when talking about regulations. Regulating carbon emissions can affect everything from tractors to large buildings like hospitals. It also would affect energy prices. Electricity generated from fossil fuels would become more expensive. Wayne Penrod is the executive manager of environmental policy at Sunflower Electric. Penrod says the bottom line is any co2 regulation would substantially raise costs for the consumer.
Penrod: Will this have the impact on individuals that 4 dollar a gallon gas has? And I would submit that the answer to that is yes and so it is a significant matter and not something to be taken lightly.
Congressman Jerry Moran of the 1st district of Kansas says he thinks co2 regulation has taken a backseat in Congress due to the rising price of gasoline. Moran has no proposals regarding CO2 regulation. However, if concrete legislative proposals do arise, Moran wants to ensure one thing.
Moran: If there are regulations related to co2 emissions that agriculture is adequately fairly treated. And in fact there may be some opportunities for farmers, landowners in Kansas and across the country to have the opportunity to gain for creating the storage, the benefit they provide in storing co2.
Moran says he believes we should be listening to scientists, among whom there is a concern about the effects of CO2.
Moran: Generally it's my belief that there is climate change that is ongoing but my guess is that a part of, a very modest part of that climate change is a result of manmade activities.
Moran is up for reelection this November. His opponent, Democrat James Bordonaro, does not share the same views on climate change.
Bordonaro: I just think that the numbers that we're talking about right now or that you hear bandied about on the national level about maybe a 20% reduction by 2020, those aren't sufficient I don't think. We need to be well below 1990 levels to make a good dent.
Wayne Volland of the Kansas Sierra Club would agree with the need for a larger reduction level. Volland says the Sierra Club would like to see Congress set up regulations to decrease carbon emissions 80% by 2050. Bordonaro is interested in pursuing other routes to reduce global warming, like space-based initiatives to shield the earth at certain times of the year or absorbing more co2 emissions into the ocean and rebuilding coral reefs, but reduction is important.
Bordonaro: Ultimately we need to try and reduce the amount of co2 we generate.
Both Moran and Bordonaro emphasize the need to explore alternate energy sources, even on smaller community-based scales. Both candidates reference the natural solar and wind resources available in Kansas. For HPPR, I'm Lindsey Fields.
© Copyright 2012, hppr
(2008-09-25)
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In Holcomb, KS, the Sunflower Electric Power Corporation wants to expand its power facility by adding two more 700-megawatt generating coal units. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment denied Sunflower's permit last year. KDHE secretary Roderick Bremby cited the harms of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases in his refusal to grant the permit. Currently there are not regulations on CO2 emissions, which are thought to contribute to global warming.If left to the Environmental Protection Agency, regulating co2 emissions could be drawn out by litigation. EPA spokesman Jonathan Shradar says it's better left to Congress.
Shradar: A much better way is if congress were to act and regulate carbon holistically taking into account the balance we must draw with our economy and as this affects every sector, every individual is tied to carbon emissions somehow so we need to regulate that in a fashion that balances our economic concerns and balances growth with protecting our environment.
Shradar referenced the economy twice. It's a major concern when talking about regulations. Regulating carbon emissions can affect everything from tractors to large buildings like hospitals. It also would affect energy prices. Electricity generated from fossil fuels would become more expensive. Wayne Penrod is the executive manager of environmental policy at Sunflower Electric. Penrod says the bottom line is any co2 regulation would substantially raise costs for the consumer.
Penrod: Will this have the impact on individuals that 4 dollar a gallon gas has? And I would submit that the answer to that is yes and so it is a significant matter and not something to be taken lightly.
Congressman Jerry Moran of the 1st district of Kansas says he thinks co2 regulation has taken a backseat in Congress due to the rising price of gasoline. Moran has no proposals regarding CO2 regulation. However, if concrete legislative proposals do arise, Moran wants to ensure one thing.
Moran: If there are regulations related to co2 emissions that agriculture is adequately fairly treated. And in fact there may be some opportunities for farmers, landowners in Kansas and across the country to have the opportunity to gain for creating the storage, the benefit they provide in storing co2.
Moran says he believes we should be listening to scientists, among whom there is a concern about the effects of CO2.
Moran: Generally it's my belief that there is climate change that is ongoing but my guess is that a part of, a very modest part of that climate change is a result of manmade activities.
Moran is up for reelection this November. His opponent, Democrat James Bordonaro, does not share the same views on climate change.
Bordonaro: I just think that the numbers that we're talking about right now or that you hear bandied about on the national level about maybe a 20% reduction by 2020, those aren't sufficient I don't think. We need to be well below 1990 levels to make a good dent.
Wayne Volland of the Kansas Sierra Club would agree with the need for a larger reduction level. Volland says the Sierra Club would like to see Congress set up regulations to decrease carbon emissions 80% by 2050. Bordonaro is interested in pursuing other routes to reduce global warming, like space-based initiatives to shield the earth at certain times of the year or absorbing more co2 emissions into the ocean and rebuilding coral reefs, but reduction is important.
Bordonaro: Ultimately we need to try and reduce the amount of co2 we generate.
Both Moran and Bordonaro emphasize the need to explore alternate energy sources, even on smaller community-based scales. Both candidates reference the natural solar and wind resources available in Kansas. For HPPR, I'm Lindsey Fields.
© Copyright 2012, hppr
