Last week, News-Press editors sat down with executives from Great Plains Energy Inc., the parent company of KCP&L. During the meeting, Great Plains CEO Michael Chesser said a couple of surprising things.

First, he admitted that most scientific evidence said carbon emissions from power plants did contribute to global warming. “It’s an issue we need to be concerned about,” he said.

Maybe that’s not breaking news, but it does seem stark coming from an energy executive.

Second, Great Plains developed what it called a virtual power plant.

Quite simply, it’s a program that taps renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, and helps businesses and residents conserve energy through various methods, such as more efficient appliances, programmable thermostats and lighting. If KCP&L customers can save 50 kilowatt hours, that’s as good as increasing energy production at an existing plant by 50 kilowatt hours or building a new plant to generate more power.

The key to the virtual power plant was legislation that allows the utility to account for the program like a bricks-and-mortar plant. Thus, KCP&L doesn’t spend millions building a new plant and those construction costs don’t get passed on to customers.

Wow.

After so many years sending money to Aquila, it’s refreshing to run across a utility that actually cares about customers, not just shareholders.

Johnny Reb rides again

Travel a few miles south and you get the feeling that the Civil War is still being fought, at least in the minds of some folks. Lately, it seems the north was in fight, too.

Last week, three Nebraska state senators said they are working on a state’s rights resolution that would tell the federal government to butt out. The resolution probably doesn’t have any practical applications, and Nebraska won’t secede from the union any time soon. But the measure does object to federal laws that the senators say go beyond Constitutional authority.

State’s rights was a key cause of the Civil War. It appears to be resurfacing 150 years later. Here’s a blog excerpt from Pete Kotz, who writes about politics for Nashvillescene.com:

“Over the next few years, we are going to be hearing a lot about 'states’ rights.’ ... someone has to remind Washington that Nancy Pelosi was not appointed czarina of the whole freaking country. Someone has to throw a speed bump in front of the careening Greyhound Bus of State that is joyriding, burning through our kid’s college funds.”

Enough said.

Return to sender

It was interesting last week that Ken Reeder said he wouldn’t oppose the St. Joseph School District’s tax levy increase, which will be voted on in November. Apparently Ken has more important things to do, like allowing a political consultant to use his name and organization to oppose improving parks in Platte County.

However, King Kenny did send the school board a list of 14 questions that he’d like to have answered. He questioned the recent redistricting and closing of schools.

Sorry, Kenny, but your 15 minutes are up, at least in St. Joseph.

You were able to sway voters in April’s election, but you don’t get to run the entire school system. Throughout the campaign, the administration said school closings, job cuts and redistricting would happen if the levy continuation failed.

Well, it failed. And the fact that you submitted some questions isn’t going to cause the administration to reopen schools, hire back teachers and eliminate boundaries.

You’re a taxpayer and it’s your right to advocate for or against tax increases. But why don’t we let those who are best qualified run our schools?

Steve Booher’s column runs on Monday.

He can be reached at steveb@npgco.com.