The Kansas state Senate in a voice vote late Wednesday passed a bill that would require the state's Secretary of Health and Environment to approve air permits for any generation project that meets federal air quality standards.
A recorded vote on the bill (H.B. 2066) is expected to come later Thursday and supporters are hoping the measure will pass with enough votes to override a possible veto from Governor Kathleen Sebelius.
The measure would revive a plan by Sunflower Electric Power, a generation and transmission cooperative, to build two 700-MW coal plants at its Holcomb power station in western Kansas.
Secretary of Health and Environment Roderick Bremby in October denied the project an air permit, citing concern that the carbon dioxide emissions from the plants would worsen global warming. The US government does not consider CO2 to be a pollutant.
The Kansas House is considering a similar bill that would also include language requiring state utilities to obtain a certain percentage of their generation needs from renewable resources. The measure also would permit utilities to obtain an extra 1% return on renewable investments.
The renewable portfolio standard would require utilities to obtain 10% of their power from renewable resources by 2010. That requirement would rise to 25% by 2025. The House is expected to take up its bill on Monday.
A recorded vote on the bill (H.B. 2066) is expected to come later Thursday and supporters are hoping the measure will pass with enough votes to override a possible veto from Governor Kathleen Sebelius.
The measure would revive a plan by Sunflower Electric Power, a generation and transmission cooperative, to build two 700-MW coal plants at its Holcomb power station in western Kansas.
Secretary of Health and Environment Roderick Bremby in October denied the project an air permit, citing concern that the carbon dioxide emissions from the plants would worsen global warming. The US government does not consider CO2 to be a pollutant.
The Kansas House is considering a similar bill that would also include language requiring state utilities to obtain a certain percentage of their generation needs from renewable resources. The measure also would permit utilities to obtain an extra 1% return on renewable investments.
The renewable portfolio standard would require utilities to obtain 10% of their power from renewable resources by 2010. That requirement would rise to 25% by 2025. The House is expected to take up its bill on Monday.
