Zack Pistora, Sierra Club Kansas Chapter Director
If you've read our Waypoints and other emails, you know that the Kansas Chapter of Sierra Club and our local partners have been busy pushing for clean energy adoption across Kansas. After many hours of community engagement, galvanizing support, and preparing testimony, it’s our pleasure to report two BIG wins for clean energy in both Shawnee and Wyandotte Counties.
In Wyandotte County, on a vote of 8-2, the Unified Government approved what will be the largest electric energy storage system in Kansas. After months of dynamic discussions with community leaders and stakeholders and accommodations by the developer, Accelergen’s 300 megawatt battery energy storage system received broad community buy-in. This exciting energy project will be a gamechanger for maximizing pollution-free renewables in Kansas by storing the excess, low-cost wind in off-peak hours at night and unloading that energy during high demand hours in the afternoon and early evenings.
“Energy storage is the keystone of renewable power, bridging the gap between electricity produced by wind and solar, and delivering it to homes like yours when it’s needed most. As we all feel the squeeze of high energy prices, this project will ease that burden and ensure that we can rely on more clean, cheap energy produced right here in our backyard.” said Ty Gorman, Sr. Campaign Organizing Strategist for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. Read more about this project here.
In Shawnee County, with support of the local League of Women Voters, Sierra Club, unions, and more, County Commissioners approved a regulatory framework to welcome solar farms on a 3-0 vote. Community members, along with stakeholders, spent many months advocating before the Planning Commission and County Commission on sensible safeguards to help usher in utility scale solar and battery storage in ways to minimize any harm to residents or the local environment. However, the work is not over yet, as we stand ready to support the upcoming solar development applications that satisfy these new rules. Read more on this successful effort here.