Statement of Jim Zakoura, attorney and consumer advocate, Smithyman & Zakoura, Chartered, on behalf of the Natural Gas Transportation Customer Coalition (NGTCC):
Updates on a couple of important energy matters.
Last Friday, June 10, 2022, Kansas Gas Service (KGS) filed its “Monthly Net Cost of Gas,” for June 2022. The total KGS Cost of Gas for June 2022 is as follows:
- $8.37 per unit – Cost of Natural Gas in June 2022 (An 83.36% increase, year-over-year) Cost of Gas in June 2021 – $4.54 per unit
- $1.12 – Cost of Hedges to protect against further steep cost increases
- $0.19 – Weather normalization adjustment
- $0.11 – Ad Valorem taxes
- $9.79 per unit in total for June 2022
The Evergy Integrated Resource Plan Update – was filed on June 10, 2022.
- Evergy updated its Integrated Resource Plan, that sets forth forecasted electric generation additions and retirements in the period 2024 through 2032.
- Evergy plans to retire a material amount of coal fired generation assets and replace those assets with additions of wind energy and solar energy.
- Irrespective of any public policy considerations that may impact this process – – for our client group, this process is likely to drive materially higher, retail electric rates in Kansas.
- This massive recasting of the electric industry in Kansas, is very concerning, to say the least.
- We need to remain in close contact with our elected state officials, and those appointed state officials with responsibility for electric resource adequacy and retail electric rates, to assure that through this process, Kansas has reliable and continuous electric service, at regionally competitive rates. [Read More…]
