Mark Horst: Solar energy ready to boom in Kansas
As the price of solar energy has fallen because of American innovation and economies of scale, solar is increasingly competitive. And my company, King Solar, as well as the 34 other solar companies in Kansas are ready to capture this energy and thrive on it.
As of the end of last year, solar directly employed about 600 Kansans. That number is set to double next year.
And small businesses are booming. Carpenters, plumbers, electricians, truck drivers and roofers are all winning because of solar.
Five years ago, King Solar installed a breakthrough solar facility at a medical facility on the north side of Wichita, helping it cut its electric bills. Today, that 10-kilowatt power system would be small compared with the massive investments in solar happening across the state.
Just this year alone, the IKEA in Johnson County set down a marker with a massive 869-kilowatt solar project in that company’s quest to be independent of the power grid. The Topeka VA hospital added a similarly sized 854-kilowatt system to cut its costs. The Midwest Energy community solar garden in Thomas County came online at 1,209 kilowatts.
One reason solar is booming is because of the smart federal investment called the investment tax credit. The ITC helps solar have a multiplier effect on investment and makes it more affordable for families and small businesses. It’s helped King Solar help others cut their electric bills this year by installing solar projects on homes and buildings all over south-central Kansas.
We have the smartest financial minds in business choosing solar, too. Wal-Mart, Costco, Staples, Johnson & Johnson, Macy’s, Apple, Google and Nike are all choosing solar to power their operations. Both the 2015 world champion Kansas City Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs have picked solar for their stadiums. Isn’t it time that more of Kansas relied on this massive power source with free fuel and strong job creation?
The federal ITC is scheduled to expire next year. That’s too soon. By any measure, this policy is paying huge dividends for our nation’s economy and environment.
Mark Horst is president of King Solar, based in Hutchinson.
This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Mark Horst: Solar energy ready to boom in Kansas."