Uniform Interconnection Standard Needed for Kansas

A recent article in The Kansas City Star got our attention. Written by Steve Everly and entitled "Kansas' potential for new energy is getting lost in the wind," it questions Kansas' commitment to wind energy for “community-scale” applications.

Kansas is second only to Texas in its potential for wind energy. But the state has not adopted interconnection standards that would make it easier for individuals, businesses, and communities to install wind turbines. Other states have already adopted these standards and exceed Kansas in installed wind-generating capacity. 

According to the article "Over the years, a hodgepodge of requirements imposed by utilities has made hooking renewable-energy equipment, such as wind turbines, to the electric grid more difficult and expensive. States interested in boosting renewables have been replacing the mishmash with a simpler, easy-to-understand interconnection standard."

Kansas was headed that way, but the Kansas Corporation Commission's staff recommended that, rather than develop a uniform interconnection standard, the details be left up to each individual utility to determine.

Just how all of this will progress is uncertain.  According to the article, KCP&L, the state's second largest utility, objects to uniform standards and believes that system requirements should be decided at the utility level. The Kansas Corporation Commission will hold a hearing about interconnection next month.

Although the amount of energy produced by community-scale applications is small compared with utility-scale wind farms, we support a uniform standard that will encourage the use of all kinds of clean, abundant, and renewable energy sources. Wind energy fits that bill and efforts should be made to encourage its use in Kansas.

GBA’s Energy Studio is a collaboration of architects and engineers dedicated to finding solutions for our clients that conserve energy and utilize renewable energy sources.

Photo courtesy of Norther Power Systems, Inc.