Investing in Western Kansas

The following is a column by Lieutenant Governor Mark Parkinson:

I’ve lived in Kansas my entire life, and more than once I’ve complained about the wind. But today, the prairie wind is one of our greatest assets.

Kansas is the third best state in the country for wind farms and we have the potential to lead the country in providing clean and renewable energy.

Five years ago, only one percent of our electricity came from wind. Today, we are well on our way to meeting Governor Sebelius’ goal of ten percent renewable energy by 2010 and twenty percent by 2020.

The state’s fourth wind farm is now complete, three more are being built and many more are in the planning stages.

Construction of these farms has resulted in hundreds of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars in investments and substantial lease payments to the land owners fortunate enough to have turbines on their property. 

We are particularly pleased that most of these benefits will take place in Western Kansas.  Future development out west is a goal of this administration and these investments will provide prosperity to an area of the state that we care deeply about.

Wind farms are not for everyone.  We continue to support the power of local governments to decide whether they want them or not.  We are particularly sensitive to keeping these farms out of our great national treasure - the Flint Hills. 

Recently, Governor Sebelius formed the Kansas Wind Working Group and asked me to chair its efforts.  Paid for by a federal grant, we will work hard to bring wind farms and other alternative energy investments to Kansas.

To succeed we must work together - not as Republicans or Democrats - but as optimistic Kansans. Together, we can make Kansas a leader in renewable energy.

# # #