Kansas Corporation Commission
Central Kansas electric bills will increase following approval of Evergy rate hike
TOPEKA — State regulators approved a utility rate change that will decrease electric rates for Kansas City customers and push up prices for other customers in the state after a long tug of war between proposed corporation price hikes and commission staff estimates over fair prices. During a Tuesday meeting, the three-member Kansas Corporation Commission […]
Kansas abandoned wells project reinvigorated, but thousands left to plug
TOPEKA — The state’s efforts to plug abandoned wells are back on track after delays in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to project coordinators. Ryan Hoffman, conservation division director with the Kansas Corporation Commission, updated lawmakers on the well situation during a Tuesday legislative meeting. The Kansas Corporation Commission oversees the well plugging […]
Lack of oversight on transmission spending leads to higher electric bills, consumer advocate says
Electric customers have fallen into a “regulatory gap” that’s allowed billions of dollars of transmission construction to happen without oversight of need, prudence or cost effectiveness, according to a complaint filed with federal regulators by the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel. And though the complaint to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was made on […]
Evergy, regulators near deal on Kansas electric rates
Evergy is close to a deal with state regulators that would reduce electric rates in the Kansas City area and raise costs for the company’s other Kansas customers. If the deal is approved by the Kansas Corporation Commission, Evergy’s Kansas Central territory — including Topeka, Manhattan and Wichita — would see rates increase by 4.05%, about $4.64 […]
Pipeline spills oil into Kansas creek near Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
Time will tell whether an oil spill upstream on Rattlesnake Creek will harm the birds that flock to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, a migratory bird stop in Stafford County. Its manager, Mike Oldham, said the refuge, owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, had deployed absorbent barriers to catch any oil in case it […]
Kansas condo board says it’s being forced to pay twice for gas used during 2021 winter storm
For an Overland Park condo association, the next natural gas bill after a historic cold snap more than two years ago was stunning. Pinebrooke Condominium Subdivision Association, in Overland Park, typically paid about $4,500 for its members’ monthly bills. But its February 2021 bill came to more than $280,000. It settled and paid 75% of […]
Senate committee confirms former Democratic legislator to utility regulatory board
Former Kansas state Rep. Annie Kuether was confirmed as the newest member of the Kansas Corporation Commission Wednesday with a near-unanimous vote. Kuether, who served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1997 to 2022, will be seated immediately. She replaces outgoing commission Chair Susan Duffy. Gov. Laura Kelly announced she had appointed Kuether, a […]
Long-awaited Evergy energy efficiency programs approved by Kansas regulators
Kansas regulators approved a robust set of energy efficiency programs for Evergy customers after concerns the deal might fall apart. The 2-1 vote by the Kansas Corporation Commission on Friday brings programs, such as rebates and discounts on efficient HVAC systems and free thermostats, to Evergy’s Kansas customers. Missouri regulators have allowed energy efficiency programs […]
Evergy’s proposed rate increases are too high, Kansas regulators announce
TOPEKA — State regulators say a detailed financial audit shows Evergy’s proposed $218 million rate hikes are unjustified. The Kansas Corporation Commission on Tuesday announced its staff had determined Evergy should lower rates in the Kansas City area and slightly increase rates for the rest of the state. The investor-owned utility, which serves about 1.6 […]
Evergy requests first rate increase in five years. Rates outside Kansas City would jump 10%.
Evergy’s request that Kansas customers pay another $218 million each year is a symptom of a system built without efficiency, an environmental advocate says. And until Kansas regulators allow the investor-owned utility to implement its proposed suite of programs designed to bring down customers’ usage, Ashok Gupta, an economist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, […]
Spirit AeroSystems backs KCC reform bill in quest to bring competitive electric rates to Kansas
Kansas Chamber and SpiritAerosystems seeks overhaul of Kansas Corporation Commission to bring about more affordable utility rates across state.
Evergy blames renewable plans, inflation for $1 billion rise in infrastructure plans
Kansas’ largest electric utility says inflation and plans to add more renewable energy are to blame for the ever-rising estimated cost of its infrastructure investments. Evergy’s plan, which outlines investments in the grid and energy production, is more than $1 billion higher than the one it filed in 2021, which was $1 billion higher than […]