Latest news with #MorganChilson
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas regulators approve Evergy natural gas plants, solar plant despite rate concerns
The Kansas Corporation Commission hears testimony on Evergy rates in June. On Monday, the KCC unanimously approved the company's plan to build new natural gas and solar plants. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — The Kansas Corporation Commission gave Evergy the go-ahead to build two natural gas plants and a new solar plant, over the objections of multiple parties. Evergy Kansas Central customers will see bills increase about 8.6% to build the new plants, KCC filings said. EKC, the subsidiary of Evergy Inc. that serves Kansas customers, will be 50% co-owner of the two 710-megawatt combined cycle gas turbine plants and 100% owner of the Kansas Sky solar facility, to be built in Douglas County. The Viola gas plant will be built in Sumner County, and the McNew gas plant will be in Reno County. Cost of construction is estimated to be $788.75 million for the Viola plant and $800.52 million for the McNew plant, according to EKC's filings. The solar field is expected to cost $228.1 million. The other half of the two natural gas plants will be owned by Evergy Missouri West, but only if the Missouri Public Service Commission — KCC's Missouri counterpart — approves the construction. The Missouri commission's staff has recommended against pre-construction approval because too many costs in the proposal were uncertain, according to Missouri Public Service Commission filings. The unanimous decision from Kansas' regulatory commission Monday afternoon to approve building two natural gas plants and a solar field was the first time in 15 years the KCC has been asked to do a pre-determination docket, said Brian Fedotin, KCC counsel. In a pre-determination docket, Evergy seeks KCC approval before beginning construction. The company can then use a construction work-in-progress rate mechanism, called a CWIP, approved by the Kansas Legislature in 2024, according to the Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board. The CWIP lets companies begin charging customers for new infrastructure projects while they are under construction, rather than waiting until the next rate case to recover costs. In Kansas, utility companies typically invest in infrastructure or other initiatives and then add the costs of those projects during a rate case that occurs after the projects are completed. The CWIP allows the company to collect dollars to fund projects as they are built, and it can be added to customer bills one year after construction begins. The decision to build the natural gas plants was opposed by the Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board, industrial consumers and environmental groups, among others. In general, most agreed with building the solar plant, according to documents filed at KCC. Commissioners also made note of their concerns about Evergy rates. 'The commission is concerned and troubled by the frequency and magnitude of rate cases, and strongly encourages Evergy to focus on pacing its proposed investments to better align those investments with actual load growth and the mitigation of large rate increases,' said Commissioner Dwight Keen at Monday's virtual hearing. Keen said that while the commission approves the addition of generation capabilities to meet the needs of Kansans and ensure stability of the power grid, they remain concerned about rate increases. Evergy currently has a separate rate case at KCC, asking for as much as a 15% hike to residential rates, which would be on top of the increase from building the plants. Evergy last received a $41 million rate hike in 2023. 'The commission understands that from time to time, new investment in electric capacity is needed to support reliability and economic development in Kansas,' he said. 'However, affordability and genuine maximum capacity needs must be major priorities and proactively pursued as Evergy addresses a seemingly endless list of ostensibly justifiable projects and initiatives.' His words were matched by opponents to building the natural gas plants. Jim Zakoura, president of the Kansas Industrial Consumers Group, said Evergy has enough generation to meet electricity demand if current electricity systems, such as coal plants, are not retired before the end of their useful manufacturing life. 'Evergy's plans to retire coal facilities early, while those facilities continue to provide electric service at costs which are far lower than new gas-fired generation, is not related to increased electric demand,' Zakoura said in a statement. 'It is simply trading low-cost generation for high-cost generation to serve the same level of demand. Retail ratepayers get no greater value for their money — only higher prices.' KCC staff and commissioners don't agree. 'The oldest of the Jeffries units was commissioned in 1978 and will be over 50 years old if the proposed Viola combined cycle gas generation plant comes online in 2029,' Keen said. 'It is impossible to know the exact timing of when coal units will retire. Load growth may require their lifespan to be extended, or environmental policy changes or technological advances may shorten their lives.' Keen said an October 2022 fire at the Jeffrey Energy Center in Pottawatomie County caused that unit to be out of service for more than a year. Officials with the Sierra Club, which testified in the Missouri Public Service Commission case for Evergy's proposed plants and not in the Kansas case, said ratepayers are being asked to take on costs and subsidize a billion-dollar industry. 'Governor Kelly and KCC Commissioners supported and approved these gas plants, and now they have the opportunity to ensure that utilities and data centers pay their fair share, because the alleged new demand for electricity is from data centers, not Kansas families or existing businesses,' said Zack Pistora, director of the Kansas chapter. Dorothy Barnett, executive director of the Climate + Energy Project, expressed concerns that natural gas prices are difficult to predict. 'I am really worried that we are going to push ourselves into a really risky position with fossil fuels,' she said. 'I obviously am concerned about the climate impacts of adding fossil fuels, right? But secondarily, gas prices are so volatile. We saw that with Winter Storm Uri. It's supply and demand.' Winter Storm Uri brought arctic weather to the Midwest in February 2021, resulting in increased utility prices for most customers after natural gas prices shot high because of production problems and high usage. Costs of natural gas are a 'straight pass-through' from the utilities, she said. She referred to Empire District Electric, which in 2007 served southeast Kansas. 'They were heavily invested in gas and people couldn't pay their bills,' Barnett said. 'They were one of the first utilities that began to invest in wind in Kansas. It wasn't because they cared about the environment or cared about clean energy. It was because they were trying to diversify their fuel mix so that they weren't reliant on gas.' Evergy spokeswoman Gina Penzig said in a statement the company is pleased with KCC's approval to help ensure system reliability. 'Kansas and Missouri are experiencing record economic growth, and today's predetermination order affirms that the plants are needed to serve customers and are an efficient way to meet the growing demand,' she said.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas launches new resources for small businesses, entrepreneurs
Taylor Overton leads the new Kansas Department of Commerce Small Business Office. She spoke Tuesday at the Tee Box in Topeka. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Tools for small business owners are now available through the Kansas Small Business Office, leaders with the Kansas Department of Commerce announced Tuesday while highlighting the need to encourage entrepreneurship and business development in the state. Connect KS, a resource website that will answer questions of small business owners and help them find resources in their part of the state, is part of the SBO, said Taylor Overton, who heads up the new office. The resources were announced at an event at the Tee Box in downtown Topeka that drew entrepreneurs from across the state to share the importance of finding programs and information to help them succeed. In addition, many spoke about being part of a Kansas delegation recently at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indiana. 'One of the reasons why this is so important is that new businesses under five years old create the most net new jobs in our economy,' said Jason Grill, with Right to Start, a nonprofit organization that advocates for small businesses. 'They also grow GDP, and they increase lifetime incomes. They increase community wealth, very much so, in lifetime incomes, they diversify our goods and services in our communities, and they fight inequality and poverty.' Grill told about 50 people gathered that for every 1% increase in entrepreneurship in a community, there is a 2% decrease in poverty. Joshua Jefferson, deputy secretary of business development at the commerce department, said the coordination of resources throughout the state is key to the new initiatives. 'We're here to commit to the work of a new era in small business support here in Kansas,' he said. 'The COVID 19 pandemic exposed that the Kansas Department of Commerce was not doing enough for small businesses in the state of Kansas. In the wake of a once-in-a-century economic crisis, we examined the way that the agency was working, and in the process, we discovered that we really weren't supporting small business as much as we could, or that we should.' Jefferson said the creation of the SBO, along with resources like Connect KS, was the culmination of those efforts to change the state's support network. 'We can do more, and we will do more,' he said. He outlined resources included in the SBO and stressed that part of the task has been making them easier to navigate and accessible to all Kansans. 'By creating a coordinated statewide hub for entrepreneurs at every stage, we're coordinating key resources and creating centralized points of contact for entrepreneurs who are navigating the tough work of business development certifications, permitting access to capital, mentorships and much, much more,' he said. Much of the work of the SBO is connecting people with opportunity, and Overton said she was excited to take a Kansas delegation to the global congress to network with people from around the world. Wichita business owner Kristin Kienzle, who attended the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Indiana, said she is learning about creating a successful franchising model that can be replicated nationwide as she explores opportunities to expand into Oklahoma. Kienzle, who owns Utopia Modern Salon Suites, grew her unique approach to offering salon services from one site to three in Wichita, with more on the way. 'I learned some tactical things. I learned some inspirational things and then I also just kind of learned some things about myself,' she said. Being with other entrepreneurs helped her realize how little people understand about what it takes to start a business and manage all the risks. 'As an entrepreneur, we just do what we do,' she said. 'So being in the room on a grand stage with all these people who have done great things, everyone from Mark Cuban down to the guy who started this business six weeks ago, and everything in between was just so it just made me realize, wow, these people, and this is a really unique crowd.' Trademark attorney Julie Grabbe, of Hays, said meeting people from other countries was valuable. 'I'm in west Kansas, so we're in a different situation than a lot of the more metropolitan cities,' she said. 'But commerce is very important to us. We want to be able to keep our young talent. We want to keep growing our cities. We want it to be a vibrant place to live. I think one of the ways to do that is really to have the support of the state to go out and do these kinds of things and get these ideas.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Leavenworth refiles lawsuit against CoreCivic to enforce development regulations
The city of Leavenworth is continuing its legal fight in state court to get CoreCivic to comply with development regulations. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — The city of Leavenworth has not given up its fight to force CoreCivic to follow development processes before reopening its prison facility as an ICE detention center. The city refiled in Leavenworth District court this week after losing its case in U.S. District Court last week. Leavenworth officials asked for an injunction that would stop CoreCivic from housing detainees until the court could decide whether the private prison company must obtain a special use permit. CoreCivic operated the Leavenworth Detention Facility until 2021 and has signed a contract with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to reopen the prison as the Midwest Regional Reception Center. However, city of Leavenworth officials said CoreCivic must apply for a special use permit before it can reopen. City manager Scott Peterson said in an email the city refiled in state court because it was 'following the logic' of Judge Toby Crouse, whose ruling dismissed the case because he was not convinced it should be heard in federal court. At a city council meeting Tuesday, several people stood up to thank city officials for fighting to keep the prison from reopening. Mike Trapp, a former Columbia, Missouri, city councilman, noted how important it was for CoreCivic to follow development regulations. 'Land-use decisions are the fundamental core government response,' he said. 'You function as the board of directors for the city, you pass the laws, but the biggest thing you do is deal with zoning and platting issues, and land-use as the most fundamental and core function of government. And to see that challenged is unfortunate.' Peterson said the case has never been about politics, as CoreCivic's lawyer claimed during the U.S. District Court case. 'The city commission, composed of a healthy mixture of liberals and conservatives alike, chose unanimously to file this suit to protect the city of Leavenworth's power to govern development within its jurisdiction,' he said. 'All that the city of Leavenworth has ever asked of CoreCivic in this matter is to go through the Special Use Permit process, as outlined by the Leavenworth Development Regulations.' CoreCivic had agreed that it would not allow any detainees in the facility until June 1 while the case was in court. Peterson said the city hopes that remains true. 'We also hope that CoreCivic will act upon their vocal commitment to be good partners with the city of Leavenworth by not proceeding with any use of the Midwest Regional Reception Center until such time that this matter has been resolved,' he said. Ryan Gustin, CoreCivic spokesman, would not answer questions about when the company would begin accepting detainees after last week's win.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The resurgence of measles in Kansas
Stories by Wichita Eagle and Kansas journalists, with AI summarization Kansas faces its largest measles outbreak since 2018, driven by several factors. Vaccination rates have dropped in key counties, including a 24 percentage point dip in Gray County since 2019. Several recent cases, such as the one in an unvaccinated child in Sedgwick County, highlight the ongoing risk for those without up-to-date protection. Health officials are urging residents to check their vaccine status, especially those vaccinated between 1957 and 1967, due to less effective early vaccines. Clinics and pharmacies across Kansas are expanding access to MMR shots and immunity testing, as measles continues to spread statewide. Kansas reported its first case in Stevens County Thursday. | Published March 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lindsay Smith Vaccinations are required for school in Kansas unless there is a religious or medical exemption. | Published April 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Morgan Chilson Sedgwick County confirmed its first measles case May 7. | Published April 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lindsay Smith The Sedgwick County case joins more than 40 measles cases statewide. | Published May 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lindsay Smith With a case confirmed in Sedgwick County, here's what you should know at any age about getting the vaccine. | Published May 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lindsay Smith The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists or its content partners.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leavenworth sues to keep CoreCivic from reopening Kansas prison as ICE detention facility
CoreCivic plans to reopen its Leavenworth facility, closed since 2021, as an ICE detention facility. City officials have sued. (Morgan Chilson/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — The city of Leavenworth and CoreCivic will take their fight to court June 9 to determine whether the company can reopen its prison facility as an ICE detention center without going through a permitting process. Attorneys for Leavenworth filed suit in March in U.S. District Court against the Nashville-based company, which ran the Leavenworth Detention Center before it was closed in 2021. CoreCivic announced its intent to reopen its prison facility as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, which would be named the Midwest Regional Reception Center. In its initial filing, city attorneys said CoreCivic must apply for and receive a supplemental use permit to reopen and operate the prison. 'Our facility – which has been in Leavenworth since 1992 – is and always has been properly zoned,' said CoreCivic spokesman Ryan Gustin in an email. 'Leavenworth's city code designates our site as an existing special use and lawful conforming use.' The city recently passed a resolution that indicated CoreCivic needed permission to open its facility, Gustin said. 'There's nothing in Leavenworth's code that allows for such a resolution to rescind zoning,' he said. City officials do not agree. In a 211-page filing with attachments, their attorneys said that, while the lawsuit is about the need for proper permitting, there were other problems too. From 1992 to 2021, when CoreCivic operated the detention center, the company 'became embroiled in multiple widely publicized scandals resulting from its gross mismanagement of the Facility and the ensuing rampant abuse, violence, and violations of the constitutional rights of its detainees and staff,' the filing said. 'CoreCivic's mismanagement directly and indirectly impacted the City in countless ways, including for example, by imposing unexpected maintenance costs on its taxpayers, unreasonably increasing the burden on the City's police and law enforcement agencies to address violent crime, and even impeding the City's investigation of sexual assaults and other violent crimes against detainees and staff,' the filing said. The city's lawsuit contends that CoreCivic was already operating the prison when the city enacted its development rules that require a permit, so the business was grandfathered in under the new rules. But by ceasing operations for three years, the filing said, CoreCivic must now apply for the special use permit. In fact, CoreCivic applied for a special use permit in February 2025 but about three weeks later withdrew that application, the city's filing said. Community activists are speaking about against the idea of CoreCivic operating a prison in Leavenworth. Former CoreCivic employees regularly speak at city and county meetings about their negative experiences working in the closed detention center, and state organizations including the Kansas ACLU have helped organize press conferences and rallies. Objections include how CoreCivic operates, whether people held at the facility will be released into the community, and general opposition to immigrant detention centers. Gustin said the company, as of April 30, had received applications from more than 1,100 people who want to work at the site. 'Despite what politically extreme outsider groups are saying, potential new employees and local business partners are excited to be part of what we're creating in Leavenworth,' said Misty Mackey, warden of the new facility, in a press release. 'We're looking forward to operating a safe, transparent, accountable facility that will be a positive for this community dedicated to public service.' Gustin said there has been inaccurate reporting about employees working on a job at the prison to replace the facility's roof. CoreCivic issued cease-and-desist letters to those who accused the roofing company, Bass Roofing and Restoration, Fort Worth, of hiring workers without the proper permits. 'Any claims that our company has a contractor working for us at our Leavenworth facility that has undocumented or unauthorized workers doing the work are completely false,' he said. 'We have been furnished documentation of the legal status of all workers on the roofing project at our facility from the primary contractor and subcontractor.' The company has said that it will use local contractors at the facility, and Gustin said CoreCivic did reach out to local vendors. 'Experience in roofing our facilities and experience working on our federally contracted facilities is a factor we evaluate in reviewing bids,' he said. 'It's important to note that the roofing contractor who was selected for this project has handled similar work at another of our federal facilities, which required special clearances for workers.' Although aware of community disagreement about the facility, Gustin said CoreCivic wants to work with Leavenworth city and county officials. 'In addition to the impact fees we've agreed to pay – and the property tax we already pay – we've worked to both listen to and be transparent with the community,' he said. CoreCivic has offered the following impact fees: One-time impact fee of $1,000,000 to the city of Leavenworth Annual impact fee of $250,000 to the city of Leavenworth Additional $150,000 annually to the police department Gustin said no one detained at the facility will be released directly into the Leavenworth community, which is one opposition point. 'Our facility will operate with strong oversight and accountability from our government partners, including regular audits and onsite monitors,' he said.
