Image courtesy KCC

On September 25, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) announced it approved a deal letting Evergy raise its rates by $128 million. The increase will help pay for replacing old equipment and improving the power grid’s reliability. Evergy had originally asked for a $196.4 million increase in January. The settlement came after long talks between KCC staff, the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board, Evergy, and other groups representing businesses, schools, and industrial customers.

The new rates will start with the October bills. For a typical home using 900 kWh per month, the increase will be about $8.47. The Commission reviewed the evidence and decided the rates are enough for Evergy to meet its financial needs while keeping costs as low as possible and maintaining reliable service.

Commissioner Dwight D. Keen disagreed partly with the decision. He opposed giving Evergy a 9.7% Return on Equity (ROE) for transmission delivery charges, which cover building and maintaining the transmission system. These charges appear as a separate line on bills, not in base rates. Keen said the ROE is too high and could make electricity less affordable for customers.