Kansas impasse shows green energy opposition has lost steam

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Efforts to propel Kansas’ renewable energy future are mired in legislative stalemate. At its center is a former TV weather personality who is using his chairmanship of a key committee to promote questionable claims about green energy and to spotlight complaints from opponents of wind and solar energy projects. Republican state Sen. Mike Thompson’s pushback against renewable energy is pitting him against environmentalists whose bills can’t get a hearing but also big utilities and GOP colleagues. They say his measures to restrict new wind turbines and solar farms go too far. Kansas is unusual in giving such a big policy role to someone who publicly dismisses mainstream climate science.