Kansas Corporation Commission opens company specific investigations related to impacts of weather emergency

 

TOPEKA — This morning, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) issued an Order opening seven company specific investigations pertaining to the impacts of the February weather emergency.

The investigations will examine each utility’s proposal to minimize the financial impacts of the February weather emergency on its customers. The high demand, along with generation facility issues due to cold weather, created supply shortages and extraordinarily high energy prices. An Emergency Order issued by the Commission on February 15 ordered regulated utilities to defer those costs for review and to present a plan to minimize ratepayer impact over a reasonable timeframe.

The investigations will also address the cause of reduced natural gas supplies, high natural gas prices, supply and demand imbalances in the Southwest Power Pool Integrated Market, and what steps can be taken to make sure utilities are better prepared for future extreme weather events.

The seven companies listed in today’s order are Evergy (Kansas Metro and Kansas Central), Liberty Empire, Southern Pioneer, Kansas Gas Service, Atmos Energy, Black Hills Energy, and American Energies Gas Service.

A report and recommendation filed by KCC Staff on March 1 stated that company specific investigatory dockets would allow staff to tailor its investigation to match each utility’s unique circumstances.