First utility scale PV solar farm gets go ahead in California

2 stems forward,fall flat on your back step!

http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/1178538.html

TOPEKA | In a stunning reversal from his predecessor, Gov. Mark Parkinson on Monday signed an agreement ending a two-year fight over plans to build coal-fired power plants in western Kansas.

The compromise allows Sunflower Electric Power Corp. to build one 895-megawatt coal-fired power plant near Holcomb, instead of two 700-megawatt plants that were repeatedly blocked by Kathleen Sebelius when she was governor.

In exchange for the go-ahead, Sunflower will build more wind turbines and agree to more pollution controls and a greater investment in energy efficiency.

“We have been at an energy impasse for the past couple of years,” said Parkinson, a Democrat. “I thought it was time to bring an end to that impasse.”

The game-changing deal came on Parkinson’s sixth day in office and as lawmakers were preparing yet another attempt to overrule Sebelius’ veto of legislation to authorize the plants.

Parkinson’s compromise elated Sunflower executives and plant supporters, surprised most lawmakers and disappointed environmental groups.

“Today, Kansas took a big step backwards,” said Sierra Club spokeswoman Stephanie Cole in a statement. “We cannot build new coal plants and claim to want to slow global warming at the same time.”

Parkinson said he reached out to Sunflower soon after he was sworn in to replace Sebelius a week ago. He explained that he was frustrated by the political stalemate that saw the coal issue derailing efforts to encourage renewable energy. He said a little coal and a lot of environmental legislation was better than nothing.

However, the agreement doesn’t ensure the plant will be built. Sunflower must lock in the financing. Its largest partner — Tri-State Generation and Transmission of Denver — said last month that it would be reconsidering its participation, in part because of the political stalemate in Kansas.

Also, new carbon regulations from Congress could steeply increase the cost of coal plants.

5 megawatts? -Why not just have hamsters running on treadmills to create that much power.

Here is kansas (since our old governer left to work w/ obama), a new coal plant was just approved with a capacity of 1595 MW. This whole solar thing is kind of a joke, isn't it?

electricity delivery on a grid must be thought of as an antiquated idea.(this is only supported by industry that wants to maintain their grip on money/power). Electricity is local,..every home can be powered more efficiently if it was removed from a grid, used wind and solar, which would completely eliminate the word "blackout" from the English language. Nikola Tesla said we will be truly living as one w/ nature when we understand the full capacity of electricity.

after what PG&E did with Enron to California this dose not site wright with me.

I want All the cells up but distributed on existing structures across the state.

A 5-megawatt solar plant at the Sunset Reservoir is a good example

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/City-Hall-Watch-Large-solar-farm-garners-approva...

Awesome, looks like progress! People used to, or maybe still do, go to a dam and look at the expansiveness of it in amazement. I see these solar fields as just as impressive, but smarter. Something to be proud of.

This while the Bureau of Land Management continues the status quo by allowing contracts to prospect for uranium in the Grand Canyon. This is the way of the future, not toxic energy sources like coal and nuclear. When paying your utility bill, yiou can write on the bill that you want solar power. I do it every month, and recently read that my utility is looking into it. This won't happen unless we demand it.