An advocate for wind energy says state and federal policies have led to a surge in wind development in Kansas. Kimberly Svaty, with the Wind Coalition, says a multi-year agreement on federal wind power tax credits and an agreement on tax policy at the state level have helped the industry grow.
Wind power development can ebb and flow with tax policies, but Svaty says favorable policies have helped develop nine new wind projects in Kansas during the last year.
“As with any industry, investment has choices in where they put their capital, and you want to put your capital in a location, in a state, in a city where there is a very stable policy environment,” Svaty says.
Last year, lawmakers considered adding a new excise tax to wind energy in Kansas, but that proposal was tabled in favor of a compromise. Svaty says she expects additional wind project announcements in the coming months and years.
