Renewable energy’s time has come
Finally, there is widespread agreement that Missouri can do better when it comes to embracing the worldwide movement to renewable forms of energy.
A key is ensuring that development costs are spread over several years to avoid a burden on ratepayers.
We recommend voters say “yes” to Proposition C, also known as the Missouri Clean Energy Initiative, on the general election ballot. This would require at least 2 percent of electricity generated by the state’s investor-owned utilities come from renewable energy sources by 2011, and at least 15 percent come from those sources by 2021.
This proposal arose after several failed attempts in the General Assembly to pass a renewable energy standard similar to those in place in 26 other states. It has support from likely sources — the Sierra Club and the American Wind Energy Association, among them — but also from the unlikely.
Kansas City Power & Light, which serves our region, supports the initiative on several fronts. The utility already reports slightly more than 2 percent of its electricity sales come from renewable energy. The longer-term goal of 15 percent is a “stretch goal” for KCP&L, but one it hopes to meet.
The protection for KCP&L, and ratepayers, is a provision in the law that would allow utilities to opt out of meeting the requirements if that would require rate increases more than 1 percent above what they would be without this policy in place.
Investments up to that 1 percent standard are expected to be heavily focused on adding wind- and solar-powered facilities. Projections call for ratepayers to see a net savings in the years to come because of expected higher costs for fossil fuels and regulations mandating cleaner fuels.
Currently, 82 percent of power produced in Missouri comes from coal — a far higher share than the national average of 49 percent. A vote for Proposition C would improve the mix of fuels and lower our reliance on coal modestly to about 71 percent.
We favor this shift to clean, renewable energy sources, particularly considering the safeguards in place to protect ratepayers.
