Editorial: Coal -- Not a Viable Long-Term Solution

Right now, our politicians are dragging our feet when it comes to creating energy independence and creating a strong economy that is not dependent on the whims of world leaders and foreign dictators. Case in point -- Chicago, where certain politicians there are dragging their feet on shutting down one of the dirtiest coal plants in the country, the Fisk & Crawford Plants. Located right in the middle of Chicago, the Fisk & Crawford plant emits so much pollution that patio furniture in the neighborhood is literally covered with soot. These plants were put in place with the promise of jobs and economic development, then the property values went down -- after all, who wants to live near a coal plant? Consequently, the only people who live near these places are people who can't afford to live anywhere else.

Mike Huckabee, who recently decided not to run for President, had a good idea which he put into action as Governor of Arkansas -- he put in a plan for preventative health, which saved taxpayers millions of dollars worth of healthcare costs. Herewith my suggestion -- focus on preventative health by phasing out dirty power sources such as coal and retrain the workers to do cleaner sources such as solar and wind. According to the University of Harvard, that would save $1 trillion in taxpayer money -- no more need for Obamacare or the need for us to purchase a private product in order to keep the IRS from assessing thousands of dollars against our taxes. The Fisk and Crawford plant alone caused 41 premature deaths and 550 visits to the emergency room for allergies such as asthma. In addition, there are 500,000 premature deaths in the US and 750,000 (at least) in China due to coal.

Now that Bin Laden is dead, we can start thinking about cutting funds for Afghanistan and how and when to get out. We can free up some funds so that we can put a wind farm or a solar plant in every town in the country -- our towns could sell the electricity to customers or to utilities and create a new source of income, as could the county. We can invest in math and science so that we can find ways of doing it cheaper so that we can reach the tipping point at which it would be cheaper to produce than conventional sources -- that would benefit our local schools. And we can put hybrid plants in every town the size of Maryville or bigger so that we can starve the Arabs before the next Bin Laden comes along. Yet certain politicians would rather be happy going the same tired old politics as usual. If we go that route, then the next 9/11 is an accident waiting to happen.

Show-Me State of Mind for August 20th, 2008

Why Does Graves Oppose Wind Energy?
Consumers are suffering under high gas and diesel prices, and the other cost increases that they cause. We need to provide relief for consumers now by creating a balanced energy policy.
First, we must create more of our own energy domestically. That's why I have called for immediately increasing drilling in Alaska and in our coastal waters, where oil companies already have millions of acres of leased land which they refuse to explore.
But, we can't forget about another form of renewable energy that is growing right here in Northwest Missouri: wind power. The wind turbines in Rock Port and King City are already producing electricity that will power thousands of homes and decrease our dependence on foreign fuels.
Wind farms are great for our country, as well as our communities. They create jobs and spur economic development in smaller cities and towns while generating local revenue. For example, King City's school district expects to receive more than $200,000 per year in additional funding as a direct result of the wind turbines.
Even though they can do so much for Missouri, our wind farms are at risk. In 135 days, the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy will expire. Experts say this will put the renewable energy industry into a tailspin, costing the U.S. 112,000 jobs and $19 billion in investment.
The partisan stalemate in Congress over renewing the tax credits is already making it more difficult for wind project developers to line up financing. Farmers and small business owners in the District tell me at least one major wind farm developer has now placed its entire project on hold awaiting the renewal of the credits. Of course, this is exactly what Exxon and Big Oil want to see. They don't want anyone to cut into their record profits or billions in tax giveaways.
Although he claims to support wind energy, Congressman Sam Graves has voted against the Production Tax Credit five times! Why? Well, maybe it has something to do with the fact that he has received more than $63,000 from the oil and gas industry since 2000. We need a member of Congress who will stand with our rural communities who are producing energy here at home, instead of with Exxon and Big Oil.
Kay Barnes is a candidate for U.S. representative for Missouri's 6th Congressional District

Wind Farms Generate Power, Revenue

Wind farms generate power, revenue, say MU Extension specialists
ROCK PORT, Mo. – The landscape in northwest Missouri is changing. Scattered across three counties, 75 turbines spin to harvest the wind.
University of Missouri Extension specialists say that there are excellent opportunities for sustainable wind power in northwest Missouri. Four wind turbines supply all the electricity for the small town of Rock Port in Atchison County. The city of just over 1,300 residents is the first in the United States to operate solely on wind power.
"That’s something to be very proud of, especially in a rural area like this—that we’re doing our part for the environment," said Jim Crawford, University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineer. "Anybody who is currently drawing their utility through Rock Port utilities can expect really no rate increase for the next 15 to 20 years."
There are currently 24 wind turbines in Atchison County, 24 in Nodaway County and 27 in Gentry County. MU Extension specialists say the wind farms will bring in more than $1.1 million annually in county real estate taxes, to be paid by Wind Capital Group, a wind energy developer based in St. Louis.
"This is a unique situation because in rural areas it is quite uncommon to have this increase in taxation revenues," said Jerry Baker, MU Extension community development specialist.
The alternative-energy source also benefits landowners, who can make anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 leasing part of their property for wind turbines.
Other wind energy companies are looking at possible sites in northwest Missouri, Baker said.
A map published by the U.S. Department of Energy indicates that northwest Missouri has the state’s highest concentration of wind resources and contains a number of locations potentially suitable for utility-scale wind development.
"We’re farming the wind, which is something that we have up here," Crawford said. "The payback on a per-acre basis is generally quite good when compared to a lot of other crops, and it’s as simple as getting a cup of coffee and watching the blades spin."
"It’s a savings for the community in general, savings for the rural electric companies, and it does provide electricity service over at least a 20-year time period, which is the anticipated life of these turbines," Baker said.
Baker said the wind turbines attract visitors from all over, adding tourism revenue to the list of benefits.

A Moment with Mike for April 23rd, 2008

As I attended the very impressive celebration last Friday in Rock Port designating them as the first and only town in the United States to be 100 percent wind powered it was evident that a great amount of foresight, hard work and risk had been involved. The leaders of the Rock Port community can be very proud of their efforts and achievement. It was also made clear that without the Federal tax credits and other incentives, this project would not have become a reality.
The growing number of varied tax credits in the state of Missouri is quite honestly a big concern for me but when they are used to stimulate business that pays back big dividends they have been used effectively. On Forbes Magazine’s 2007 list of the best states for business, Missouri ranked #16. That is especially impressive considering the fact that only a few short years ago our state was one of the leading states in jobs lost. Our labor force, quality of life, business cost rank and regulatory environment led to this encouraging ranking that I think we should all be proud of. Whether you are a small business owner, executive at a large Missouri business, or just a hard-working Missouri employee, this is good news because it means we have implemented a strong economic policy that has immediate, positive effects including encouraging new business and providing more quality job opportunities.
Proof that we have our doors open for business is the recent interest we have received from Bombardier Aerospace. As you might have read in the news lately, Kansas City is one of the top candidates for a project for a passenger jet assembly plant. Bombardier Aerospace is a Montreal based company that is looking for a site to assemble its C Series 110 and 130 seat passenger jets. The plant would eventually employ up to 2,100 people, with up to 5,200 indirect jobs attracted to the area – meaning millions in economic development for Missouri.
The fact that our state is a top contender would not have been possible without the pro-growth initiatives we have enacted during the past few years. With policies such as our workers comp reform and business incentives; we have been able to add thousands of new jobs. Incentives like the Quality Jobs Act have made sure we are attracting the right kind of jobs – ones that offer livable wages and health care benefits for Missouri Families. These initiatives have helped create more than 90,000 jobs since 2005, unemployment rates are comparatively low and the stimulation of small business is especially encouraging.
We are excited to have this chance in the Kansas City region, but we are also doing all we can to attract economic development all over the state. We have given initial approval to another economic development bill, HB 2058, which offers numerous provisions to promote job growth across our state. This bill would increase the annual cap on the amount of tax credits available for the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Program, which is designed to help stimulate development, and revitalization in economically challenged areas by providing economic development assistance.
If you have questions, you may reach me at my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 406A State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

Barnes calls on Graves to Support Wind Farms

Kay Barnes, candidate for the 6th Congressional District, today once again called on Congressman Sam Graves to stop protecting the tax breaks for big oil companies like Exxon and instead fund the renewal of production tax credits needed to expand wind farm facilities in Northwest Missouri.
Barnes attended the dedication of the Loess Hills Wind Farm in Rock Port this morning where company officials stressed the need for Congress to immediately renew the tax credits for wind farms and other alternative energies. The credits are set to expire by the end of the year and future development of these alternative sources of energy are now on hold awaiting Congressional action.
Barnes stated, "Voters are angry because Washington is broken and they want change. When elected I will fight hard to pass legislation to take the tax breaks away from companies like Exxon and redirect those dollars to our wind farms and ethanol plants here right here in Northwest Missouri. Just a few weeks ago Congressman Sam Graves voted against the interests of Northwest Missouri and sided with Exxon and the other big oil companies to protect their tax breaks, and at today's dedication he tried to dodge the issue and blame everyone but himself. He once again is making Washington work for the corporate special interests and turning his back both the rural communities in this District and consumers everywhere struggling to pay these outrageously high gas prices."
On February 27, 2008, Congressman Graves voted against H.R. 5351, a bill which would redirect tax breaks to oil companies toward renewing the production tax credit for wind farms for three years and create a new tax credit for cellulosic ethanol. Just two weeks earlier, on February 13, Exxon Mobil donated $2,000 to Graves' reelection campaign.