This editorial appeared in The Wichita Eagle.
Sedgwick County could be a big winner in state and national efforts to expand wind energy production. And the manufacturing jobs created here – estimated at nearly 1,100 by a national study – could help diversify our economy.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson last week announced a comprehensive energy plan aimed at creating jobs, promoting renewable energy production and improving energy efficiency. The plan would:
• Allow Kansans who generate their own electricity to sell back their extra power using "net metering."
• Make mandatory a voluntary program to have 20 percent of the state's energy come from renewable resources by 2020.
• Require new state office buildings or leased buildings to meet energy efficiency standards.
• Provide bond financing to attract and expand wind-related manufacturing investment and jobs in Kansas.
These aren't new or particularly bold ideas, but they are needed to help Kansas meet its large but woefully underdeveloped potential in alternative energy production.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Wichita Eagle.