Republicans usually oppose federal mandates.

But State Rep. Tom Sloan, a Lawrence Republican, said a plan before Congress to make utilities use more renewable energy sources could benefit Kansas.

“Kansas has greater potential to generate wind energy than any other state in the country,” Sloan said Friday as he and other legislators toured Lawrence’s Bowersock Mills & Power Co., the only hydroelectric plant in the state. “There’s a market to move Kansas renewable energy to other states.”

Sloan, vice chairman of the House Utilities Committee, brought several committee members to Lawrence to see one way alternative energy is being produced in Kansas. Bowersock sells its electricity  enough to power about 1,800 homes  to Western Resources.

The committee members “are dealing with energy issues every day,” Sloan said. “It’s important that they see the other part of the electric business.”

The U.S. Senate moved Thursday to require investor-owned utilities to produce at least 10 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by 2020. Congress has never set such an aggressive goal for generating electricity from renewables, which include solar and wind power as well as agricultural wastes and geothermal energy.

Government-owned utilities and electric cooperatives, which produce about one-fifth of the electricity in the United States, would be exempt from the requirement. The bill would allow investor-owned utilities to count their existing use of non-hydropower renewables toward the standard.

Opponents, including the utility industry, warned that the requirement would drive up electricity costs and threaten power supplies in states that are not blessed with strong winds and abundant sunshine.

Doug Lawrence, vice president for public affairs with Westar Energy, which provides electricity to Lawrence, said Westar already was looking into renewable options.

“We’re not very enthusiastic about a mandated target,” he said. “That said, we comply with the law, and we always look at whatever opportunities exist. Renewable energy certainly is a growing opportunity in Kansas.”

Currently, most of the nation’s electricity is generated by coal, nuclear power or natural gas. About 2 percent comes from renewables, excluding hydropower.

Carl Holmes, Utilities Committee chairman, said he usually was opposed to mandates, but given the high cost and dwindling supply of natural gas, he’s not sure the legislation is a bad idea.

“I think we’re going to get there whether we have a mandate or not,” he said. “We need to be looking at other sources.”