TOPEKA - The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has scheduled a public hearing to give Southern Pioneer Electric customers the opportunity to ask questions and comment on the company’s application to change its rate design.

For residential and small general service customers, the company is proposing a three-part rate design that separates out the customer charge, energy delivery/demand charge, and energy charges. The company states a three-part rate provides a more accurate representation of the cost to provide service to customers. An increase in the customer charge for residential service and general service small customers is also requested. Rate design changes have  been proposed for large commercial and industrial customers as well.

The public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, March 19 beginning at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held virtually over Zoom to make it convenient for Southern Pioneer customers in all Kansas service areas to participate. Southern Pioneer serves approximately 17,000 customers in southwest and south-central Kansas.

To join the meeting as a participant, with the ability to make a public comment or ask a question, customers should register by noon Monday, March 18 on the “Your Opinion Matters” page of the Commission’s website. To view the hearing without participating, the public can tune in to the KCC YouTube channel (no registration required). The hearing will also be recorded and available on YouTube for later viewing.

In addition to participating in the public hearing, customers can share their thoughts on the proposed rate design with the Commission by submitting a public comment on the KCC’s website, in a letter to the KCC Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, 1500 SW Arrowhead, Topeka, KS 66604-4027 or a call to 1-800-662-0027 or 785-271-3140. The comment period ends at 5 p.m. on May 15.