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After an especially cold month, Kansas City residents can expect energy and gas bills sometimes topping $200. Utilities like Evergy, Spire and Ameren need approval on their rates from regulators in Missouri and Kansas.
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Kansas City got nearly six inches of snow over the last day. Evergy reported nearly 1,400 separate outages in Kansas and Missouri as of Tuesday afternoon, due to the storms and high winds. Looking ahead, "brutal cold."
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Environmental justice efforts have gained renewed relevance as a result of unprecedented funding offered by the Biden administration. Tom Jacobs of the Mid-America Regional Council is working to bring that funding to Kansas City.
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Production of utility-scale solar power in Kansas is expected to increase 34 times over in the next four years. But many rural Kansas communities are skeptical of out-of-state developers. Plus: A writer and photographer return to Independence, Missouri, 40 years after documenting daily life in the city.
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Some Kansas counties are considering tighter regulations on solar farms as the industry sees significant growth in the state.
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After nearly a decade of road blocks, Missouri's Public Service Commission approved final plans for the Grain Belt Express line, which will drop off 2,500 megawatts of wind energy in Missouri. Construction could start as soon as 2025.
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For years, Invenergy has been working through regulatory approvals and acquiring land easements to build the 800-mile high-voltage transmission line, which will carry renewable energy from wind-swept western Kansas across Missouri. The transmission line is expected to have the capacity of roughly four new nuclear power plants.
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In October, Evergy will force customers to choose between new electricity plans that implement time-of-use pricing, which places a premium on electricity prices at times of high demand. Under the default plan, power used from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in summer months will cost four times more than other hours.
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The Kansas Corporation Commission approved a set of energy efficiency programs for Evergy customers last week. The state currently ranks 49th nationwide for its energy efficiency policies and programs, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.
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Evergy says Missouri customers need to choose from four new time-based payment plans by this October or will automatically be defaulted into one. Under the default plan, power used from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in summer months will cost four times more than other hours.
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Evergy executives hope to grow profits by 6% to 8% a year through a combination of cutting costs, increasing prices and selling more electricity.
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Historic redlining and lack of green spaces in the Kansas City metro means that, even in the current heat wave, some people will experience temperatures at least 11 degrees warmer. These heat islands are driving up energy costs and causing public health concerns.