Solar

With more sunny days than Florida, Kansas has untapped solar potential. Increased solar growth would grow the clean-energy economy, reduce utility bills, and promote grid resiliency. Climate + Energy Project and members of the Clean Energy Business Council have been leading the charge to fight against unfair policies that thwart solar adoption. Looking ahead, CEP will continue to advocate for fair energy policies that will increase access to widespread solar adoption. Don’t block the sun on Kansas! Visit our Save Kansas Solar Campaign page to learn more.

Current Solar Issues in Kansas

As planning commissions across Kansas begin to consider what role utility scale solar can play in their counties, it’s important to think about the latest news from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Our planet is warming at an unprecedented rate, (over 1.°C since 1880). Human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe (including right here at home). Global warming of 1.5°C will be met by 2040 unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.

Solar, like Wind Energy, could bring vast economic and environmental benefits to Kansas. In fact, Evergy currently has plans to add 3200 MW of solar over the next 10-15 years.

Counties across Kansas are currently proposing solar regulations. Stay informed and involved in the decision-making processes!

Johnson County Solar Regulations

Since the beginning of 2021, Johnson County Government has been exploring the possibility of changing the Rural Comprehensive Plan and Zoning and Subdivision Regulations to allow for Utility-Scale Solar Facilities (USSFs) in the unincorporated area of the county.

The Planning Commission, with the assistance of county staff and a consultant, The Berkley Group, worked to identify USSF characteristics (i.e. large scale, wide geographic distribution and long life spans) and the corresponding impacts on, among other things, future city development, rural character and open space and the environment.

The Board of County Commissioners has the authority to approve the Planning Commission’s recommended USSF regulations. They can also request the Planning Commission to make changes to the recommended regulations, which would require the regulations to be sent back to the Planning Commission.

A public hearing will take place on April 4, 2022 before the BOCC considers the Planning Commission’s recommendations on USSFs.

The public will get the opportunity to provide feedback at a public hearing at 2 p.m. on Monday, April 4 at the Olathe Embassy Suites by Hilton, Olathe Conference Center, 10401 S. Ridgeview Rd., Olathe, KS. It will be a hybrid event with in-person and virtual participation.

You can submit written comments now using this form. You can pre-register for verbal comments virtally or in person using this form.

Current Issues with Recommended Regulations:

• A two mile boundary from city limits

  Buffering cities at 2-miles from solar panels is excessive. A one mile buffer is reasonable and allows for the anticipated growth over the next 25-30 years without limiting landowner rights in the buffered areas.

• A 1000 acre cap

  Limiting the size and scope to only 1,000 acres is a gross infringement on landowner property rights while also arbitrarily limiting the opportunities available to the county.

• A 20-year conditional use permit term

  Limiting conditional use permits to less than the industry-standard accepted terms of 25-30 years is arbitrary. It also threatens the viability of utility scale solar projects and could lead to increased consumer costs.

Any one of these things would effectively stop utility scale solar in Johnson County. Utility-scale solar development fits perfectly into the long-term goals for Johnson County, bringing good jobs and economic opportunities to the community, helping preserve top-tier agricultural soils, and supplying the energy our 21st century businesses demand.

TAKE ACTION

The Climate + Energy Project is working with our clean energy and environmental partners under the banner Kansans for Clean Energy to drive pro-solar voices to engage with the County Commissioners in a variety of ways prior to the BOCC public hearing regarding solar regulations on April 4th. 

On April 4th, starting at 2 pm at the Olathe Embassy Suites, the County Commissioners will decide to either say yes to the current bad regulations or send them back to the planning commission for more work. To let your Johnson Board of County Commissioners know how you feel about expanding solar energy in your County, you can reach out to them in any number of ways, listed below.

Tell us how you plan to take action to support solar using this Google Form. With the Take Action Interest Form, we can stay in touch with you as more information about how to engage on April 4th becomes available.

1. Post card – bit.ly/YEStoSolar link to sign the electronic postcard, Kansans for Clean Energy will mail one on your behalf.

This is a good first step so the Commissioners have something physical from you; however, we’re trying out a new tool that we’d really love for you to use.

2. Video tool – send a message to your BOCC before the public hearing.

Elected representatives get a lot of written communication from constituents and they tend to hear from the same advocates.  Video messages from the people they represent are especially powerful because it really personalizes the message – they are directly listening to and watching a member of their community express desires for policy or community outcomes.  This is especially important when the opponents of solar energy development are flooding the public dialogue with misinformation and outright deception. 

It’s really easy to make and send your own video. Check out this link, and then take a few minutes to make your own video for your commissioner. https://watch.jogg.co/r/K3kQ

3. Send a Written Public Comment prior to April 4th

Written comments for the April 4th Public Hearing are currently being accepted. If you want to send a written public comment to the BOCC please use this form.

4. Make a Comment at the April 4th Public Hearing

The Board will be making a very important decision on April 4th. Should they stick with the bad regulations or send them back to the Planning Commission for more work? Your voice during the public hearing is very, very important. Pre-registration for an in person or virtual public comment is now open with this link.

Tell us how you plan to take action to support solar using this Google Form. With the Take Action Interest Form, we will stay in touch with you about how to engage on April 4th.

The International Energy Association’s (IEA) Net Zero by 2050 report calls for scaling up solar and wind rapidly this decade, reaching annual additions of 630 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) and 390 GW of wind world-wide by 2030, four‐times the record levels set in 2020. For solar PV, this is equivalent to installing the world’s current largest solar park roughly every day for the next 10 years. We can’t get where we need to be without large scale utility solar.

Recent Kansas Solar Energy Articles

Utility Scale Solar & Storage Webinar

The Clean Energy Business Council, a project of the Climate + Energy Project, is hosting a webinar with special guests Robert Wright, Renewable Energy Development Manager at Burns & McDonnell and Frank Jakob, Energy Storage Technology Manager at Black & Veatch to discuss utility-scale solar and storage.

Presentation Slides

More information and presenter bios can be found here.