Talks focus on solar, wind power

By Tim Carpenter

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Summer is plenty warm in Topeka, but don't expect the area to become a hotbed of solar energy development.

The coolest reason? Too much shade.

"Solar is happening in Arizona and California," said Joe King, an architect and former head of the Kansas Energy Office. "We'll see it in Utah, Nevada and New Mexico. I don't envision that happening here in the near future."

On Monday, King presented the latest maps of solar energy potential in Kansas to a small but important group. He spoke in Topeka to the three members of the Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates rates, service and safety of public utilities.

He shared insights into solar's global future but urged the KCC to become bigger players in shaping a comprehensive energy road map for Kansas.

"I would advocate the commission take a more direct role in the energy policy debate," King said.

KCC chairman Tom Wright said he was interested in visiting a large commercial solar facility in Arizona that stores energy in a salt solution. Importing that type of technology to Kansas, especially the flat, hot and dry southwest corner of the state, should be considered when weighing energy development options, he said.

"It's part of the package," Wright said. "It may be awhile before we get there."

He said the state's wind power industry was 10 years more advanced than commercial solar enterprises. A problem in Kansas, he said, is population centers in eastern Kansas are located in hilly areas with extensive tree cover. Flat, open desert close to people is ideal for solar.

"Seventy-five percent of Topeka is covered by trees," Wright said. "Wind will be there way before solar."

King shared with the KCC a set of solar-potential maps for Topeka and five other cities in Kansas. The analysis indicates the most promising pockets for solar energy production in Kansas are in the far western edge of the state and that potential for gathering energy from sun diminishes with movement to the east.

Kansas should pay more attention to solar collection, King said.

"We'd be remiss not to pay attention to solar development in other areas of the world with similar resources," he said.

However, King said investors and individuals should be wary before committing to any energy fix. The typical approach in the United States, he said, is to match growing demand by producing more from coal, natural gas, nuclear plants, wind turbines or photovoltaic units.

The cleanest option is an efficiency program to scale back demand, he said.

"Almost always," King said, "your money is better spent by using less of it."

Tim Carpenter can be reached

at (785) 295-1158

or timothy.carpenter@cjonline.com.

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