About Us
Humble Beginnings
As more and more "Concerned Citizens of ___ County" groups form throughout Kansas, group members naturally share their experiences with other groups members. This has resulted in an organic coalition of kindred spirits, of those trying to protect the health, rights, and well-being of their communities against the often conflicting interests of the industrial wind energy industry.
In the fall of 2019, about a dozen of us, scattered throughout the state, began corresponding with one another on a regular basis. In a few weeks, we had loosely formed a statewide coalition that we named the Kansas Alliance for Responsible Renewable Energy - KARRE.
We're new at this but we're not sitting on our hands:
- Mid February, 2020 - This website was launched
- March 1, 2020 - Our first monthly newsletter was published
- In process - Drawing up Articles of Incorporation
- April 3, 2020 - Issued our first press release on behalf of five Marion County plaintiffs claiming they're being intimidated by Expedition Wind.
Experience AND Commitment
As we shared successes, failures, and ideas, it was obvious we also shared the same commitment to preserving what makes rural Kansas - and rural Kansans - unique.
Although some KARRE members are relatively new to this struggle, many have been (and still are) dealing with industrial wind developments in their communities for more than 15 years. Our KARRE members come from varied backgrounds and differing political viewpoints, but we're united about protecting our well-being. With such a broad base of experience and talent forming this emerging coalition, it seemed pretty clear that we were brought together for a purpose.
Our Mission
We provide support to local community groups learning to deal with a potential threat to their way of life. Besides assuring them that they're not facing this struggle alone, we offer experience-based guidance on what to expect from developers of industrial wind energy projects in rural Kansas.
Knowledge is power, and it's vital that residents affected by proposed industrial wind projects have access to reliable information about their benefits and risks. KARRE helps filter out unsubstantiated claims (by both extreme factions), sharing useful data for communities to consider.
KARRE's broader goal is to put legislative oversight of renewable energy where it belongs, in the hands of our state and federal lawmakers. We're bringing the individual struggles of individual communities before individual elected officials and asking them to either provide reasonable protections for Kansas residents, or an explanation of why they don't.