green energy

Kansas City's lone furniture bank offers formerly homeless residents a free shopping spree to help make their new house into a home. Plus: Kansas is one of the biggest wind energy producers in the country, but the lights from thousands of turbines annoy some rural residents.

A Missouri House committee heard testimony on legislation that would require cities and counties to pay for electric vehicle chargers in order to mandate businesses install them. The proposal is backed by fossil fuel interests and groups like the Missouri Retailers Association.

Grain Belt Express’ developer announced its transmission line will now deliver 2,500 megawatts of clean energy to Missouri, up from 500. But that increase requires an extra 40-mile connector line, which Grain Belt asked state regulators to approve as an amendment to its original plan, instead of a new line that would be governed by higher land price for farmers.

A proposed solar farm in eastern Kansas could be the largest in the state, but not everyone is excited about 2,000 acres of panels being built in their backyard. Plus: How some Midwestern states are getting creative in their attempts to attract tourists.

Johnson and Douglas counties approved regulations allowing the construction of what would be the largest utility-scale solar farm in Kansas. But while residents say they support green energy, there's a vocal contingent pushing back against building 2,000 acres of panels so close to their communities.

The Missouri General Assembly passed a law last year prohibiting cities and municipalities from adopting any policies that remove access to a utility service based on the type of energy it provides.

Kansas City is taking steps to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 with a new Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan. It's expected to decommission Evergy’s Hawthorn coal power plant, create more bike lanes, increase tree canopies and much more.

By focusing on six core climate-related issues, the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan aims to make Kansas City carbon neutral by 2040. However, energy companies say the plan limits consumer choice.

A recent feasibility study found that if crews cleared trees and other environmental features, the site could produce 500 megawatts, enough to power about one-third of the city’s homes.

Johnson County commissioners rejected solar farm rules from the planning commission that had been criticized as some of the most restrictive in the country. The new regulations open the door to a large project planned for Johnson and part of Douglas County.

Being a foster parent is hard enough, but being one in rural Kansas presents its own struggles. Plus, the wind energy industry is now facing a new challenge: what to do with old wind turbine blades when it’s time to replace them.

Missouri ranks seventh in the nation for electric vehicle use. But around Kansas City, public chargers are most often found west of Troost Avenue, which for decades has represented the city's economic and racial dividing line.