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Concerned Citizens of Platte County, Inc. (CCPC)

March, 2007 Newsletter

Contents





Events



Clean Energy Show March 31, 2007. 10-4pm - Zona Rosa Food Court. 8640 N. Dixson Ave., Kansas City, Mo 64153. Have you ever wondered where you can get your own wind turbine? How much you would save with Energy Star appliances? Who can help you make your home more energy efficient? Contact me at s.brown@netzero.net

Conservation Lobby Day Apr 4 - MO State Capitol - 10am-2pm - Contact Mark Fogal at mfogal2002@yahoo.com

Earth Fair Apr 7- Shawnee Mission East High School 10am-3pm

Hear the Jazz, Support the Earth April 11 - Fundraiser for Sierra Club/Great Rivers Law. Jazz great Bobby Watson will perform. Contact me at s.brown@netzero.net

National Day of Climate Action - Apr 14 - www.stepitup07.org

Kansas City EarthFest - Apr 21 - Shawnee Mission Park 10am-2pm - www.bridgingthegap.org

CCPC/Sierra Club win KCPL appeal





A state appellate court on 2/27/07 said the Missouri Public Service Commission didn't follow state law and lacked jurisdiction to approve how Kansas City Power & Light Co. would pay for their proposed power plant at Iatan, MO. Normally when a utility seeks a rate increase, it uses what is known as a contested case. Those for and against the increase present their cases to the Public Service Commission, public hearings are held and an agreement can be made. In this case, however, KCP&L held workshops with the public to explore how the utility would meet future energy needs. We were concerned that too many details were kept from the public.

In addition, a federal grand jury in Kansas City has subpoenaed KCP&L records about upgrades that were done during the past decade to the Iatan 1 plant. The grand jury asked for the records from the Sierra Club, which had obtained them from the utility and said they show violations of air pollution laws. The same day, KCP&L filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to declare that Sierra Club allegations about pollution violations are wrong. It is unclear what will happen next.

Hearings were to have begun on Sierra Club's action against KCP&L's MO Dept. of Natural Resources' Construction Permit on 3/5/07. These hearings are on hold.

Coal Plants dropping like flys



Kansas City, KS's public utility, BPU, has stated that their proposed coal-burning power plant may be on hold due to allegations of Clean Air Act violations. The utility may have made major updates to their power plants without improving pollutions controls. Westar, a Topeka based utility, shelved a new coal plant in favor of wind. TXU, the largest utility in Texas, was bought out and reduced the number of proposed plants from 11 to 3 due to objections from not just environmentalists, but businesses and conservative mayors in Texas.



Visit our website for full articles - www.ccpcmo.org



Platte County Green Build Initiative



Platte County passed a resolution on 2/22/07 to form a committee to implement a voluntary Green Build Program. The first meeting is Mar. 20 and will include Platte County staff, members of CCPC, builders, and other interested persons. This is only the second program of its kind in the KC Metro area (Jackson County has a program already).

Platte County has already joined the Mid America Regional Council's AirQ Workplace Initiative to help reduce ozone pollution in our area. In addition, two Platte County schools have been awarded grants to retrofit busses to reduce diesel exhaust pollution.

Headlines



Coal Plants get burned, As concerns mount about climate change, getting new coal-fired plants built is harder than ever for American businesses, 3/2/07, Fortune

Carbon Curbs Gain Backers, Energy groups change stance, possibly giving campaign new fuel, 2/27/07, Wall Street Journal

Bucks in the wind, Rock Port, MO could become the nation's first town to get all electricity from wind, 2/23/07, St. Joe News-Press

Jeff Bingaman and Barbara Boxer: Utilities that rush new coal plants now won't get bigger emission breaks later, 1/1907, Opinion, Dallas Morning News

Missouri Legislation



SB 154 - by Sen. Graham - Renewable Electricity Act - Would require utilities to obtain a certain percentage of power from renewable sources like wind. Visit www.renewmo.org for more info.

HB 869- by Rep. Holsman - Easy Connection Act - Requires electric utilities to provide true Net Metering in MO. Customers who generate their own electric power with wind and solar would be credited for any excess power they provide back to the utility at the same rate that they purchase power from the utility. It would also ensure easier grid connection for solar and wind systems.

SB 364 - by Sen. Koster - Would take away the rights of counties to enact local health ordinances to protect their citizens from the negative impacts of Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). This bill is out of committee and has been sent to the Senate floor. As soon as leadership feels they have enough votes, they will schedule it for a vote. Our rally was very effective and no vote has been taken yet. Please continue to make calls against this bill.

Please call your reps and express your opinions. To find your senator or representative go to http://www.senate.mo.gov/llookup/leg_lookup.aspx. Visit the legislative section of our website for other bills.

Federal Legislation



S.673 - Sen. Salazar (D-CO) - Creates an investment tax credit for small wind similar to the credit currently available for solar. This looks good. Visit the American Wind Energy Assn. website for more info and to contact your Senator http://capwiz.com:80/windenergy/issues/alert/?alertid=9415791&type=CO.

Does your group need a speaker?



Let us know if your group needs a speaker on the issue of coal-burning power plants, global warming, and what can be done. We have a 30 minute power point presentation that hits all the issues - the problems, the alternatives and a plan to make change happen. Contact us at s.brown@netzero.net for a request.

I hope you enjoyed this newsletter - e-mail me if you have comments - s.brown@netzero.net.

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