(WASHINGTON) – On Tuesday, January 31, 2012, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Sunflower Electric cannot proceed with its construction of the Holcomb Expansion Plant until another environmental impact study is conducted. The court case was brought by the Sierra Club, an activist group, against the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). RUS is part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Tuesday’s Court ruling against Sunflower may have been a win for activists, but it was a loss for Kansas consumers,” Congressman Huelskamp said. “It is ridiculous that this process requires yet another review. It is the classic ‘death-by-litigation strategy’ that only creates more red tape and unnecessary requirements. A private business is trying to invest private money into a venture that will create public good, yet activists – with the blessing of the Obama Administration – stand in the way.”
“America has 22 million Americans unemployed or underemployed and energy projects would put a considerable dent in those figures. Yet, roadblock after roadblock continues to be put in the way of projects like Sunflower’s Holcomb Expansion or the Keystone XL Pipeline. Solutions like these will help get Americans back to work, enhance our domestic energy supply, and stabilize energy prices. America needs more energy, and American families and businesses should not be denied the access they need to affordable sources.”
According to estimates, construction of the Sunflower Expansion will lead to nearly $2 billion in economic activity and will create nearly 2,000 jobs at peak-build out, which amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars in labor income and total income. After the plant is completed, it will provide new jobs for more than 80 workers who will take home to their families – and spend in their communities – $5.6 million annually. (Source: “The Economic Impact of Building and Operating an 895 MW Coal-Based Plant in Finney County, Kansas,” authored by John Leatherman, Ph.D. and Bill Golden, Ph.D.)