By Elizabeth Daigneau | Governing
Republicans in the Kansas Legislature are talking again about ending the state’s renewable energy standard. Two years ago, a bill to repeal the standard made it through the Kansas Senate, but was defeated in the House. A vote just two months later was much closer, but also failed. Now, however, Kansas Republicans have added five seats to their majority in the House and think they may have enough votes to kill the standard once and for all.
Kansas’ renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requires utility companies to get 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted RPS, while eight other states have set renewable energy goals. Renewable portfolio standards came under attack about three years ago, when the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) developed model legislation to repeal or roll back such standards. In 2013 alone, 20 states tried to end RPS. All those bills came up short.
