Senate committee approves SB 380 to curb utilities’ role in fast EV charging, adds 2031 review The Senate Committee on Utilities advanced Senate Bill 380 after adopting an amendment requiring a 2031 legislative review; the bill prohibits utilities from including new fast EV charging stations in the rate base, requires nondiscriminatory rates, and preserves exclusions for preexisting and employee/fleet chargers.

The Senate Committee on Utilities has taken a significant step by advancing SB 380, aiming to reshape how utilities handle fast EV charging stations and ensuring fair rates for all providers.

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#KS #CitizenPortal #ConsumerProtection #ElectricVehicles #KansasUtilities

Kansas hearing on SB 439 pits utilities’ calls for standardized railroad permit timelines against railroads’ safety and property‑rights concerns At a Jan. 29 Senate committee hearing on Senate Bill 439, utilities and broadband providers urged a uniform 30‑day notice/approval process and a capped fee to reduce costly delays, while Union Pacific, BNSF and a rail workers’ union warned the measure could undermine FRA safety standards and railroad property rights; the committee did not vote on the bill.

A heated debate in Kansas is unfolding over Senate Bill 439, where utility companies push for streamlined railroad permit timelines while railroads raise alarms about safety and property rights.

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#KS #CitizenPortal #RegulatoryCompliance #PublicSafety #KansasUtilities

House Committee Advances Substitute for HB 2435 to Expand Gas Surcharge; Opponents Warn of Higher Bills The Kansas House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications voted to untable and pass out a second substitute for HB 2435 that would expand the Gas System Reliability Surcharge (GSRS) to include growth-related capital and raise the residential cap to $1.35; proponents said it reduces regulatory lag while opponents warned it shifts speculative risk and will raise bills between rate cases.

Kansas lawmakers are pushing a bill that could raise your gas bills while promising quicker utility upgrades—are the benefits worth the cost?

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#KS #EnergyPolicy #CitizenPortal #ConsumerProtection #KansasUtilities #RegulatoryReform

Kansas committee hears sharp debate over bill letting gas utilities defer costs and seek interim recovery At a Jan. 26 hearing, supporters said House Bill 24 35 would reduce regulatory lag and spur investment; Kansas Corporation Commission staff, consumer advocates and ratepayer groups warned the bill’s interim recovery mechanism could add surcharges and lacks sufficient limits or sunset protections.

A heated debate unfolds in Kansas as a proposed bill could allow gas utilities to defer costs, raising concerns about potential surcharges for consumers.

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#KS #EnergyPolicy #CitizenPortal #RegulatoryReform #ConsumerProtection #KansasUtilities

KCC utilities director tells committee Evergy large-load tariff, rate settlement and generation approvals aim to protect captive customers Justin Grady, director of the KCC Utilities Division, briefed the Committee about Kansas electric affordability, Evergy’s new large-load power service tariff (for customers >75 MW), the unanimous Evergy rate-case settlement of $128 million (~$8.47/month), and KCC approval of two combined-cycle plants and a 159 MW solar facility; he said protections (minimum contracts, heavy demand charges, collateral) are designed to protect existing captive customers.

Kansas is taking bold steps to ensure electric affordability with a new tariff aimed at large-load customers, designed to protect everyday households from rising costs.

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#KS #RenewableEnergy #CustomerProtection #EnergyAffordability #CitizenPortal #KansasUtilities

KCC warns SPP’s 2025 plan and rapid load growth will require major transmission investment Justin Grady told legislators the Southwest Power Pool’s 2025 Integrated Transmission Plan initially proposed about $18.1 billion of projects and was trimmed to $8.5 billion of notices-to-construct after stakeholder engagement; he cited SPP modeling that showed demand growth (a 25% increase in MWh by 2030 and up to a 33% increase by 2034 in the base reliability model) and warned of serious load-shed risk without timely transmission investment.

Kansas could face severe power shortages with projected demand skyrocketing—are we ready to invest in our future?

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#KS #EnergyReliability #InfrastructureInvestment #CitizenPortal #KansasUtilities #StakeholderEngagement

Kansas Corporation Commission review: NERC supply‑chain rules, virtualization and Southwest Power Pool resource adequacy Justin Grady, director of the Kansas Corporation Commission Utilities Division, briefed the Joint Committee on Kansas Security about NERC critical‑infrastructure updates (supply‑chain risk, virtualization and low‑impact cyber systems), the KCC’s cybersecurity tracking, and Southwest Power Pool’s expedited resource adequacy steps to address looming

Kansas is ramping up its electric-sector security standards to tackle looming reliability challenges—what does this mean for your power supply?

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#KS #CyberSecurity #CitizenPortal #RegulatoryCompliance #ResourceAdequacy #KansasUtilities

Kansas Senate debates bill on utility surveillance and privacy concerns Senators discuss balancing utility surveillance needs with Kansans' privacy rights.

Kansas senators are torn over a proposed bill that could allow utility companies to monitor citizens under the guise of safety, raising critical questions about privacy and surveillance.

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#KS #CitizenPortal #PrivacyRights #KansasUtilities #SurveillanceEthics #PublicSafety

Evergy files 8.62% rate increase request to accommodate new customers in Kansas Evergy seeks rate increase to ensure corporate growth aligns with existing customer protection.

Kansas is navigating a significant energy shift as Evergy files for an 8.62% rate increase to ensure new corporate customers pay their fair share without burdening existing consumers.

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#KS #CitizenPortal #KansasUtilities #CustomerProtection #EnergyInfrastructure

Kansas Senate Committee approves extension for transmission line siting applications Senate Bill 92 extends Kansas Corporation Commission's siting application deadline from 120 to 180 days.

The Kansas Senate Committee just took a significant step towards modernizing energy infrastructure by approving a bill that extends the deadline for processing transmission line applications from 120 to 180 days.

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#KS #KansasUtilities #InfrastructureDevelopment