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Report allows Kansas residents to see what contaminants are in their drinking water
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas and Missouri residents may be drinking unsafe amounts of arsenic, nitrates and other chemicals — even if their provider is meeting federal drinking water requirements, according to data published Wednesday by an environmental group. The Environmental Working Group released its most up to date tap water database, compiling testing information […]
On top of $1B fallout from February cold snap, natural gas prices expected to climb this winter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After a historic cold snap depleted natural gas reserves in February, prices for heating could be as much as 30% higher this winter, prompting concerns about increasing bills for Kansas and Missouri customers. Kansas is already grappling with the $1 billion fallout from this winter’s cold snap, when natural gas prices […]
Environmental advocates say Evergy can shutter two more coal plants within decade
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Evergy can retire two more coal-burning power plants within the decade without sacrificing affordability or massively increasing rates, environmental advocates say in a new report. The electric utility, which serves 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri, is scheduled to stop burning coal at its Lawrence plant by the end of […]
Kansas Evergy customers could soon get help to make homes more energy efficient
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When Ashok Gupta and his wife bought their home, adding insulation to their walls and roof and investing in energy-efficient appliances was a no-brainer knowing they would save money in the long run through lower energy bills. But Gupta, a senior energy economist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said myriad […]
Nonprofit report calls for closing last juvenile prison, keeping kids out of system
Incarcerating young Kansans is more costly and inhumane than providing community services, education and mentoring to keep them out of the juvenile justice system, according to a new report by a nonprofit pushing the state to shutter its last juvenile prison. Kansas-based Progeny, which focuses on juvenile justice reform, released a report Thursday outlining steps […]
Kansas natural gas utility nears deal to pass on $100M in cold snap costs to wholesale customers
Kansas’ largest natural gas utility is close to reaching a deal to recoup more than $100 million from large-scale customers that failed to provide enough natural gas during a February cold snap that forced power outages across the Midwest. During the worst of the cold snap, which saw average temperatures in Kansas City fall below […]
For-profit Kansas prison an understaffed ‘hell hole’ of violence, death and drugs
LEAVENWORTH — Dangerous understaffing, pervasive drugs and a stockpile of weapons have transformed a private detention center in Kansas into a “hell hole” where violence is routine and inmates are still on lockdown after one was beaten to death this summer. The Leavenworth Detention Center, a pretrial lockup run by the nation’s largest private prison operator, […]
Study: More than 60% of Kansas, 80% of Missouri kids have lead in their blood
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Children in Kansas had elevated levels of lead in their blood at a greater rate than almost any other state, according to a massive national study published this week. And more than 80% of Missouri children had some level of lead in their blood. The study, authored by doctors at Boston […]
KS gas utility won’t release invoices detailing winter prices, but some data is already available
Kansas’ largest natural gas utility has resisted releasing records about what suppliers charged it during the historic cold snap in February that saw prices rise by more than 200 times. But according to a new filing, it has already disclosed much of that information. In February, when temperatures in Kansas City plunged below 15 degrees […]
Evergy scales back plans to add solar power by 2024, will keep Lawrence plant partially open
Evergy will keep open part of its Lawrence coal plant to run occasionally on natural gas despite earlier plans to shutter it completely and fall short of earlier pledges to add massive amounts of solar power to the electric grid, the utility revealed in regulatory filings this week. Earlier this year, Evergy filed its “integrated […]
Attorney: More public disclosure needed in historic natural gas price proceedings
State regulators’ refusal to dig deeper into the causes of a historic spike in natural gas prices this winter effectively shuts down the investigation, an attorney says. Prices for the largest natural gas pipeline serving Kansas rose to about 200 times their normal price this winter during a severe cold snap that pushed the electrical […]
AG says winter natural gas price spikes ‘appear to violate Kansas law,’ seeks help for investigation
The Kansas Attorney General’s Office is seeking outside legal help to investigate huge spikes in natural gas prices this winter, signaling the state could consider suing over the disaster. Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office announced in a news release Monday that it planned to hire a law firm with expertise in the natural gas market […]