April 4, 2007—In what KCP&L calls “a groundbreaking agreement that can serve as a model for environmental groups and utilities working together,” Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L), the Sierra Club, and the Concerned Citizens of Platte County (CCPC) have agreed on a set of initiatives to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) and reduce other emissions for the Kansas City-based utility.
Under the agreement announced March 20, KCP&L agrees to pursue offsets for all of the global warming emissions associated with its new plant through significant investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, and to cut pollution from its existing plants in order to improve air quality in the Greater Kansas City metro area.
The agreement proposes other investments in clean energy as well, and the parties are agreeing to work together on a series of regulatory and legislative initiatives to achieve an overall reduction in KCP&L’s carbon dioxide emissions of 20 percent by 2020. In addition, KCP&L is funding several community projects.
The most significant element of the agreement is the commitment by KCP&L to pursue the offset of carbon emissions from its proposed Iatan 2 generating station, located near Weston, Missouri. The estimated 6,000,000 tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions are targeted to be offset by adding 400 megawatts (MW) of wind power; 300 MW of energy efficiency; and a yet-to-be-determined combination of wind, efficiency, or the closing, altering, re-powering or efficiency improvements at any of its generating units.
In another important step for clean energy, KCP&L will also file for approval of a net metering program within six months. Net metering allows a utility’s customers to generate small amounts of renewable energy on-site, such as from rooftop solar panels or a small wind turbine, and sell any excess energy back to the utility, explains KCP&L.
