energy

There aren't many details on what Monarch or NextEra envision for western Sedgwick County, in part because people selling land have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements with the companies.

Dozens of people gathered at a meeting to hear from the company and share their opinions about the first of a new type of small nuclear reactor planned for the southeast Kansas community. The group was split, with many concerned about living near the underground reactor.

Some Missouri lawmakers say a free market for energy could curb prices by allowing customers to shop around for better rates. But the state's largest electric companies, Ameren and Evergy, both oppose the plan.

Since 2021, electricity prices have increased nearly 40%, with the average household spending more than $1,800 on their bills in 2024.

Cities are grappling with how to proceed concerning the increase in data centers in Missouri. New legislation would require water permits for large-load consumers, and make them pay for grid infrastructure upgrades needed to provide them electricity.

Kansas City adopted stricter energy conservation codes in 2023, hoping that neighboring cities would follow its lead. Instead, it may have become a competitive disadvantage, as Kansas City saw a drop in building permit applications while its neighbors saw big spikes.

Western Kansas has the potential to capitalize on our region’s growing energy demands even as rural populations shrink. There’s plenty of land, wind and sun to be a center for renewable energy production. But skepticism is bringing these projects to a halt.

The Republican Missouri senator introduced bipartisan legislation that would require data centers to build their own power plants and would increase transparency around data center energy use.

The new plant will be on the site of the retired Rush Island coal plant in Jefferson County. It is being built, in part, to power proposed data centers.

Data centers used to fuel AI are popping up all over the U.S., and they're becoming a midterm issue for voters that's now drawing White House attention. Even Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has pushed for more regulation.

The Unified Government and the BPU are in discussions with three proposed data center projects code-named Project Red Wolf, Project Yardbird and Project Linda. Officials insist the projects won’t increase utility bills for other ratepayers, but similar promises elsewhere have been proven false.

A data center in the Crossroads is using the clean energy loan for its chilling equipment. Supporters hope that the loans will encourage the projects to be more environmentally friendly. Critics want the city to do more to regulate the developments.