Authored By: Beth Pauley
Your voice will shape a just transition in Kansas
Use Our Form to Submit a Public Comment by July 4
How so? Weighing in on Evergy’s Sustainability Transformation Plan could shift the power dynamics from special interests to everyday Kansans who have been left out of the energy planning process.
Last week, Climate + Energy Project encouraged Kansans to weigh in on Evergy’s Sustainability Transformation Plan.* To recap, public comments are not automatically included in every KCC docket, which is why CEP and our allies (Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board, The Sierra Club, Kansas Appleseed, and Kansas Industrial Consumers) requested that they be included.
*Last week’s e-blast contained the incorrect link to Evergy’s Sustainability Transformation Plan. We have included the correct links at the end of this e-blast.
How are energy decisions made?
Usually, the utilities file a rate case at the Kansas Corporation Commission asking the public utility regulator to approve their latest investments. Organizations have the option of filing for intervention. If that request is granted by the Commissioners, they can participate in the rate case, filing testimony and presenting expert witnesses to support or oppose some or all of the utility request. From there, public comments may or may not be included depending on the nature of the filing. Ultimately, it takes a lot of resources to intervene which excludes many people from the process. This leaves the fate of our energy future in the hands of a few people, rather than a collective of impacted customers. In other words, it’s clear as mud.
The good news is that regulators are recognizing the value of public participation. At the federal level, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced their plans to establish the Office of Public Participation. This announcement follows a series of stakeholder engagement from a variety of groups, including community organizers, Environmental Justice Advocates, Tribal Communities, and more. Public participation plays a huge role in shifting the power dynamics from special interests to ratepayers.
Your voice matters
Shalanda Baker, the Deputy Director of Energy Justice at the Department of Energy, encourages utility reform as an important step in achieving energy justice. Of course, this system will not be transformed overnight, which is why Kansans need to take every opportunity to share their vision for an equitable clean energy future. Using your voice to weigh in on Evergy’s Sustainability Transformation Plan will help shape an equitable clean energy transition in Kansas. For example, prioritizing Energy Efficiency in neighborhoods struggling to pay utility bills and are consistently in danger of facing disconnections is a major gap in Evergy’s current plan. Your comments on the Sustainability Transformation Plan help elevate the voices of every day Kansans that have been left out of the energy planning process.
Energy poverty crisis
The pandemic shed light on many existing inequalities, and energy inequality is no exception. Organizations like NAACP and The Poor People’s Campaign have been calling to end utility shutoffs for years. During the pandemic, the Climate + Energy Project joined allies throughout Kansas and across the Country to advocate for a moratorium on utility shut offs and protections for customer debt relief. We recognize that utility shut-offs are a symptom of systemic issues, including the lack of equitable energy efficiency investments. In fact, Kansas ranks 47th in the Country on ACEEE’s scorecard for energy efficiency programs and policies. Additionally, Kansas is one of the highest energy burdened areas, meaning that low-income households are regularly making tough decisions between their energy bills and other basic needs.
A healthy + resilient Kansas is possible
Take action today and tell the Kansas Corporation Commission you want Evergy to prioritize Energy Efficiency in their Sustainability Transformation Plan. Kansas cannot wait any longer for equitable energy efficiency solutions. A recent KCC energy efficiency focus group shows strong support for low and moderate income energy efficiency programs, which is why Evergy needs to make this a priority in their STP. To build a healthy and resilient Kansas, we need energy efficiency programs that invest in communities who have been disproportionately left behind.
The following links include information on Evergy’s Sustainability Transformation Plan:
Public Workshops presented at the Kansas Corporation Commission
STP Documents filed at the Kansas Corporation Commission
Evergy’s response to all of the intervenor comments about the STP
Join our friends at The Sierra Club as they discuss what’s in the plan.
Ty Gorman and Zack Pistora (Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign): Synopsis of Evergy’s Future Plans and What We Can Do
Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Zoom Meeting
Zoom Link: https://sierraclub.zoom.us/j/3420234017
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
If you prefer to submit your comment directly to the KCC, you can do so by using this link, emailing public.affairs@kcc.ks.gov or sending a letter to the KCC Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, 1500 SW Arrowhead, Topeka, KS 66604-4027.
Visit our website to learn more and access materials.
Email TakeAction@ClimateAndEnergy.
Submit comments by July 4, 2021
