Kansas makes renewables targets voluntary

OREANDA-NEWS. Kansas governor Sam Brownback (R) yesterday signed into law a bill converting the state's renewable energy standard to a voluntary goal.

The bill, SB 91, replaces the state's standard, which required 20pc renewable energy use by 2020, with a voluntary target on the same timetable. SB 91 also exempts existing renewable energy facilities in the state, mostly wind farms, from property taxes and gives new renewable energy facilities a 10-year property tax exemption.

Wind accounted for 21.7pc of Kansas' generation mix in 2014, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

The legislature approved the bill two weeks ago after four days of bicameral negotiations. The House initially approved the legislation on 7 May, just three days after Brownback and stakeholder groups announced the proposal. But the Senate requested a conference committee to consider amendments, mostly related to tax breaks.

Lawmakers agreed to include provisions to repeal a lifetime property tax exemption for businesses that use on-site renewable generation to meet their power needs. They added language to make it easier for utilities to recover costs associated with meeting the previous mandate and the voluntary goal and repealing or scaling back certain tax benefits for renewable energy project.

While the bill was supported by some state wind industry and business groups, environmentalists have criticized it, saying it should have at least called for a higher voluntary goal to give utilities "something to aspire to."