THE FACTS ABOUT KANSAS ELECTRIC RATES
A penny for your thoughts
Most people only think about the cost of electricity when the monthly bill arrives. It may be hard at that time to recognize the value it represents – four full weeks of heating and cooling comfort, refrigeration, lights, meal preparation, clothes washing, drying and ironing, television and other media entertainment, computer, internet and cell phone charging. Electricity has simplified household and professional chores and improved the quality of life – and our life expectancy.
And you can still get significant value out of a few cents’ worth of electricity. You can power a 9-watt LED lightbulb – the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb – 12 hours for just a couple pennies. A penny’s worth of electricity will power a microwave for about 4 minutes and a desktop computer for nearly 30 minutes.
Where else can you get that kind of value? The government can’t even make a penny for a penny anymore. According to the U.S. Mint, it now costs 1.5 cents to produce one.
Value can also be measured in other ways. Investments by utilities in environmental and regulatory upgrades have cut emissions and cooperatives in Kansas are leaders in emission-free energy production. For example KEPCo provides its 19-member cooperatives more than half their energy supply from emission-free sources.
Electric Cooperatives Support Renewable Energy
Co-ops are required to serve all members during times of peak demand, but they serve solar customers in a very unique way.
Using the cooperative only as a “back-up” still creates costs for the utility.
Fixed costs for connecting distributed generation such as solar remain constant, even if an individual’s energy purchases decline.
Solar customers make an individual investment in private generation, and we are happy to serve their energy needs, but other non-solar customers must not subsidize those users.
The Cooperative Difference
- Co-ops put consumers first because the consumers are the owners. In addition, co-ops are locally owned and operated.
- When members call their co-op, they are talking with their neighbors.
Both of these aspects combine to make co-ops more responsive because members are the owners, and each co-op is accountable to their neighbors and community.
#KSEnergyFacts Supports A REALISTIC ENERGY PLAN
The Electric Cooperatives across Kansas support a realistic energy plan. Read the most current version of the bill here.
The Value of Electricity
Service Territory Map of Distribution Cooperatives in Kansas
Bringing you the facts about electric rates
Electric rates in Kansas have received plenty of attention recently. But what are the facts? It’s true that some Kansas utilities have been regularly increasing rates for several years and now average electric rates are higher in Kansas than our neighboring states. It’s also true that special interest groups are active in the media and the Kansas Statehouse calling for utilities to slash electric rates.
It’s not true that such a step would lower rates for your electric cooperative.
Who doesn’t want to save money on their utility bill?
Electricity rates in Kansas have risen but they are still near the national average. For many years, Kansans have benefitted from electric rates that were well below the national average so frustration is understandable.Utility rates differ widely, not only between states, but between the other utilities in Kansas. Besides Evergy and the other investor-owned utilities, there are 28 rural electric cooperatives and 118 municipal utilities in Kansas that make sure the lights are on, your food stays cold, and your phone stays charged. Rates for each of those utilities vary because costs vary and no two cooperatives are exactly alike. Each is shaped by their communities served, each with specific needs. Some of the electric cooperatives in Kansas serve fewer than two customers per mile of line which means higher rates.
What can be done?
The Kansas Corporation Commission, in a 220-page study released this year, identified the causes of rising rates and notes that a settlement related to the merger between KCP&L and Westar includes a promise of no rate hikes for five years. Most electric cooperatives have been able to hold rates steady for all classes of customers over the past few years despite many cost pressures from regulatory requirements and obligations to construct and pay for transmission that serves wind resources generated in Kansas but delivered to other customers in other states. Fixing that subsidy for wind would be one relief. Other things to review should include state laws which created some subsidies and shortcuts for energy development that may have run their course. The Kansas Legislature could cut utility bills for businesses by phasing out the 6.5 percent sales tax they pay on energy when no sales tax is collected on residential bills. In addition, The Kansas Constitution assesses utility property at 33 percent but other business property is assessed at a 25 percent rate.
Is the Kansas Legislature Working on This?
Legislators are being asked by special interest groups to consider sweeping and punitive legislation that could benefit those groups but have a negative impact on industry reliability, rates and customer service. There are certainly some more measured ideas that could be reviewed as part of a discussion among legislators, regulators, utilities and other affected parties.
THE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES WILL SUPPORT BEING PART OF A TASK FORCE THAT BRINGS THESE PARTIES TO THE TABLE.
We should explore our current energy picture and work toward a balanced energy policy for the future. It deserves a deliberate and respectful process that will take some time, but our energy future is worth the investment. After all, we all have the same goal — for Kansas to continue to be a great place to work, play, raise a family and call our home.
RETAIL WHEELING IS NOT A SOLUTION
Discussions on restructuring the way consumers purchase the generation component of their electric bill, a system called retail wheeling, often ignore detrimental impacts experienced in other states. Dozens of energy providers will offer multiple rate plans and marketing schemes which often lead to consumer protection issues. And in most states with retail wheeling, rates are still higher than those in states retaining a rate structure similar to Kansas. Most importantly, a market price doesn’t mean a lower price. Energy prices in a restructured industry can be very volatile.“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce mauris justo, sagittis sed tortor sed, feugiat porta ligula. Aenean viverra mi lacus, ac mattis eros ornare a. Curabitur semper aliquam erat non faucibus.”
JOHN DOE
Environmental policy expert and founder of Environmental Progress