Kansas State Senator Mike Thompson Utility-Scale Wind and Solar Protections

by | Feb 7, 2022 | Kansas State Utility-Scale Energy Legislation

KS Senate Bills That Need Citizen Help in February

02.02.2022 KS Senator Mike Thompson has already introduced and is currently drafting bills to help put protections in place around Utility-Scale Solar & Wind.

Kansas Senate Bill 325: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb325_00_0000.pdf
Senator Thompson presented this bill on 1/25/2022. The bill pushes back against corrupt practices in counties where industrial wind and solar companies use sneaky tactics to threaten and intimidate non-leaseholders and county officials. The bill forces public disclosure of leases within a certain time frame so as to create transparency in the process. It also gives those directly impacted by these intrusive facilities a voice in the matter by being able to put zoning for these facilities to a vote. It’s all about providing transparency and ethical behavior.

Kansas Senate Bills 323 and 324
Both of these Bills will be heard in the Utilities Committee, which Senator Mike chairs.

SB 323: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb323_00_0000.pdf
Hearing was on 1/26 watch the recorded hearing here:  https://youtu.be/KkSrk99Yf_o

SB 323 gives anyone who is thinking about signing a lease the time and the suggestion that they seek legal counsel before doing so. Many landowners are put under extreme pressure and this bill is a protective measure for them.

SB 324: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb324_00_0000.pdf
Hearing was on 1/27 watch the recorded hearing here:   https://youtu.be/qYiKJx6hV3k

SB 324 gives landowners a way out of a lease if the industrial wind or solar companies do not perform certain tasks within a reasonable time frame. Many of the leases for these facilities tie up a lease-holder’s land for decades. In situations where there is not progress toward building the facility after 5 years, this bill allows landowners the option to get out of the lease so they can use their land as they see fit. Again, it’s about transparency, and protection for Kansas landowners out in rural areas.

Senate Bill 383: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb383_00_0000.pdf
Hearing Date week of 2/14, dates and times to come. Establishing the Kansas property value protection act to provide for compensation to nonparticipating landowners near wind and solar farms for diminution of real property value under certain conditions.

NEW Senate Bill for Utility-Scale Solar “Health & Safety” is also forthcoming…info to come.