TOPEKA - Beginning May 1, Evergy Kansas Metro residential customers will pay an average of $1.46 more per month to have electricity delivered to their homes. That amounts to $17.52 per year, based on an average monthly usage of 1,059 kWh.  Kansas law allows electric utilities regulated by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to recover costs associated with the transmission of electric power through a separate transmission delivery charge (TDC) on customer bills, without approval from the KCC.

The Commission acknowledged the effective date of the increase at its meeting this morning. Generally, the KCC has jurisdiction over Evergy’s retail rates and terms of service. However, a regulated electric utility is statutorily authorized to adjust its Transmission Delivery Charge due to changes in cost under K.S.A. 66-1237(c). As such, the Commission has no discretion and must accept Evergy’s proposed change on a subject to refund basis within 30 business days of the application. In accordance with the statutory requirement, these transmission delivery charges are “conclusively presumed prudent” as filed. If irregularities are later found, the Commission can order changes, including refunds.

Evergy’s application requested $43.3 million in TDC revenues, an increase of $7.8 million from the prior TDC. That increases the transmission-related portion of a residential customer’s bill from $0.00626 per kWh to $0.00764 per kWh.

Today’s order is available here. 

A recording of today’s Business Meeting featuring comments by Commissioners on this order, is available on the KCC YouTube channel.