Evergy says it's on track to decrease its emissions 70% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. But some environmentalists argue the utility should be doing more.
The Sierra Club recently gave Evergy a failing grade in its annual "The Dirty Truth About Climate Utility Pledges" report. The company scored just 9 points out of 100, largely due to its plans to expand its natural gas power and put off closing two of its coal-powered plants, the Hawthorn Power Plant and the Lawrence Energy Center.
Gretchen Waddell-Barwick, the director of the Sierra Club's Missouri chapter, said that Evergy's efforts to invest in renewable energy sources like wind and solar aren't enough. She said the company needs to do more to be a better community partner, such as taking advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act's funding for clean energy.
"We know it is possible to provide reliable and affordable clean energy in a state very similar to Missouri," Waddell-Barwick said. "It's just a matter of utilities choosing to do so."
- Gretchen Waddell-Barwick, director of the Sierra Club's Missouri chapter
