Why is KCP&L and Westar--now Evergy--so committed to coal plants when wind could save ratepayers

Why is KCP&L and Westar—now Evergy—so committed to coal plants when wind could save ratepayers hundreds of millions a year?


A report released earlier this month found that Evergy’s Kansas coal fleet lost $267 million in a four-year span relative to pricing for market energy, and predicted another $847 million loss over the next 20 years.

Evergy—the new corporate name of KCP&L and Westar, which merged last year—provides power to eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Its coal fleets account for nearly ninety percent of the remaining coal power in Kansas.

The report, which was compiled by the grassroots environmental organization Sierra Club, compares the production and operative costs from Evergy’s coal units to the reported energy market price per each hour the coal plants operated.

Sierra Club found that Evergy could save millions by switching use of its remaining coal plants to renewable energy, such as wind and solar sources, which are expected to remain priced below market energy costs. Kansas is one of the nation’s leading producers of wind energy.

Read more: https://www.thepitchkc.com/why-is-kcpl-and-westar-now-evergy-so-committed-to-coal-plants-when-wind-could-save-ratepayers-hundreds-of-millions-a-year/