In normal times, we’d be wrapping up the legislative session and gearing up for our summer outreach, but Covid 19 had other plans. It’s hard to celebrate when times are tough, but it’s more important than ever. Good things happening in Kansas, thanks to climate and energy advocates like you.
Solar wins at the Kansas Supreme Court
The Kansas Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in favor of solar. The court ruled that the 2018 utility rate plan was discriminatory in the way it inflated bills of rooftop solar users. Largely due to discriminatory policies, Kansas ranks 47th in the nation for installed solar. This ruling has the potential to have national impacts on how utilities deal with rooftop solar. The devil’s in the details, but we are optimistic and excited to see how this ruling will impact Kansas solar.
Historic Climate Hearing at the Kansas State Capitol
In February, 400 Kansans convened at the Statehouse for the annual Kansas WEALTH Day of Advocacy and Education for Water, Energy, Air, Land, Transportation, and Health – all the things we need to build a healthy and resilient Kansas. This year, the WEALTH Coalition convened a Comprehensive Climate Hearing featuring Kansas climate experts who provided testimony to a committee made up of members representing both chambers and parties, as well as members of the climate action community. Speakers highlighted the science of climate change, the costs to our state and agricultural economy, our health and environment, along with solutions and strategies for resilience. In a handful of years, we’ve gone from efforts to ban sustainability at the Capitol to a bi-partisan climate hearing – the tides are turning. You’ve worked hard to get Kansas to this point, and future generations will thank you for it.
There’s so much to say about this, it’s hard to know where to start . . . except to say that it feels like we’re finally making the connections on climate change in Kansas. The Kansas Climate + Health Declarationhas 607 signers and 42 organizational supporters (have you signed?). In the first quarter of 2020, we worked with health departments across the state to dig into the details about the public health impacts of climate change on our communities. CEP’s new video series highlights Kansas-specific climate impacts, explained by our own leading environmental organizations. Get up to speed with hours of digital content – stream online, share with your friends, get the facts out to the people.
These things happened because of you. You showed up at the statehouse to rally for climate action. You took off work to come to the Supreme Court to support solar. You signed the Kansas Climate + Health Declaration and asked your friends to sign, too. You voted for climate and energy issues. You watched the videos, liked the Facebook post, and talked to your neighbors about climate change. Maybe you just read one of our updates and felt a little better about life. Every action matters. You are the good people of Kansas, working for a brighter future for our communities. Keep up the good work, friends.
Thank you,
The Climate + Energy Project Team
