Electricity

About $378 million of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding remains to be distributed. Without federal staff, some experts and advocates worry that low-income customers won’t be able to pay for cooling as the months get hotter.

Lee's Summit Republican Sen. Mike Cierpiot's bill would repeal a 1976 ban on charging customers for new power plants as they are built to meets future energy needs. Critics say it’s a cash grab by utilities who will undoubtedly raise rates.

Gov. Laura Kelly said the construction of the plants would create 500 construction jobs and 165 permanent jobs. She said the plants would ensure reliable energy in emergencies and during hot summer days.

More than 10,000 households around Kansas City lack access to any kind of air conditioning — and during the summer, many more struggle to afford their electric utility bills. Some programs around Kansas City are trying to help.

The rules will affect new residential construction projects funded by the federal Housing and Rural Development agency. Now, lawmakers are pushing the agency that oversees the nation’s two largest mortgage backers to adopt similar measures.

Missouri advocates are trying to gather 171,000 signatures for a ballot measure to legalize abortion, but even with a large amount of cash and enthusiasm, the Missouri General Assembly could get in their way. Plus: People in older, more affordable Kansas homes are more likely to lose power, and there's no easy fix.

Burying existing overhead power lines in developed neighborhoods would cost billions of dollars. That cost would immediately show up on electricity bills.

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.

The legislation filed by Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin was inspired by Evergy’s rollout of time-of-use pricing plans to its customers last summer, which included a plan that would have quadrupled customers’ charges for energy used at times of high demand.

The rate increase was approved by the Kansas Corporation Commission on Tuesday morning. Regulators scaled back Evergy’s proposed electric rate hikes, saving Kansas City-area customers $6.07 a month.

Evergy's climate plan scored just 9 points out of 100 this year, down from 18 last year. The drop comes from Evergy's decisions to push back the closure of coal plants in Kansas City and Lawrence, and its proposed expansion of natural gas power.

The Missouri Public Service Commission last week approved Evergy’s request to change the default selection for customers who fail to select one of the company’s four time-of-use pricing plans.