A new effort to roll back new green energy standards in Kansas utilities has stalled in the state Legislature.
The House Energy and Environment Committee tabled a bill today that would put off a requirement for utilities to generate at least 20 percent of its energy with renewable resources by the year 2020. The tabled bill would rolled back the standard to 15 percent, not 20.
Chairman and Wichita Republican Dennis Hedke says the panel's 10-9 vote likely ends this year's debate on changing the renewable energy standard. The revised bill cleared the committee last month, but the House sent it back.
Hedke says he'd hoped to revive the bill, because he believes the new green energy standard would increase electricity costs.
Environmentalists, wind companies, and farmers believe the new standard benefits the state, and they lobbied against the revised bill's passage.