Evergy filed a request on Feb. 2, 2024 with the Missouri Public Service Commission to recover investments made to support generation capacity and improve the grid in order to provide reliable power.
Evergy’s request includes investments related to power resources that will help ensure Evergy Missouri West has sufficient generation capacity for customers and to reduce Missouri West’s exposure to market price volatility for electricity purchased from the market.
Reliability improvements include:
- Replacing aging infrastructure
- Improving the ability to withstand more severe weather
- Adding technologies that better outage performance and improve our predictive maintenance capabilities
- Creating more power (or generation capacity) for customers, which also helps us...
- Reduce exposure to big swings in pricing for electricity purchased from the market
- This includes the cost to purchase Dogwood Energy Center to meet the growing needs of Missouri West customers
"We are investing strategically to ensure customers have reliable, affordable energy,” said Evergy President and Chief Executive Officer David Campbell. “Our focus continues to be on more efficiently running the business, which despite this period of record inflation has resulted in a reduced increase ask for our customers. While most area states have seen electricity costs increase about 11% over the past six years, Evergy’s prices have remained regionally competitive and even declined in some areas."
| Key Asset Types |
Average Age |
Expected Life (Years) |
| Overhead Conductors | 37 | 30 |
| Underground Conductors | 28 | 30 |
| Poles | 37 | 40-45 |
| Line Transformers | 33 | 20 |
| Pad-mounted Transformers | 33 | 20 |
Where and what is changing?
The Evergy Missouri West service area serves more than 340,000 customers and includes St. Joseph, Liberty, Platte City, Harrisonville, and Warrensburg, among other cities. The majority of the Kansas City Metropolitan region is not in the Missouri West service area. Most Kansas City Metropolitan customers are in the Missouri Metro service area. Evergy is not asking for any changes to base rates in its Missouri Metro service area.
As part of the rate case filing, Evergy is requesting to increase base rates for Evergy Missouri West customers by about 13.42% (roughly $17 a month). The prices customers pay for electric service are calculated based on actual costs the company incurred and investments the company has made.
To justify any price increase, Evergy must show the costs were warranted and prudent. This request also includes a 0.57% increase to account for increased fuel costs.
Evergy has not requested structural changes to the time-based rate plans that were implemented in 2023.
Public hearing schedule
The Missouri Public Service Commission is holding public hearings where customers can ask questions and testify about Evergy's rate request.
The following public hearings will be held in person:
July 29, 2024, 6pm
St. Joseph City Hall - Council Chambers: 1100 Frederick Av., St. Joseph MO
July 30, 2024, 6pm
Lee's Summit North High School - Performing Arts Center: 910 NE Douglas, Lee's Summit MO
July 31, 2024, 6pm
Sedalia City Hall - Council Chambers: 200 S Osage Ave., Sedalia MO
Two sessions will be virtual (call in)
Aug 1, 2024, 12pm
Phone number: 855-718-6621. Access code: 2631 343 1287; Password: 0189
Aug 1, 2024, 6pm
Phone number: 855-718-6621. Access code: 2632 648 7092; Password: 0189
When will changes go into effect?
The filing begins an 11-month process where regulators and interveners will review, audit and evaluate the request to ensure the resulting prices reflect the actual cost of serving Evergy Missouri West customers. The process will include public hearings later in the year, which are yet to be scheduled. If approved, new rates will become effective on January 1, 2025.
1) Regional state data is sourced from EIA and is comprised of revenues and sales for all sectors, with 2024 data uses rolling twelve-month average of total revenues and sales ending March 2024. EIA data is preliminary that is subject to change, with 2023 data to be finalized in October 2024. 2) Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics for historic CPI-U and uses rolling twelve-month average ending November 2023. 3) The corresponding change in total rates for Evergy MO Metro and Evergy MO West were -2.1% and 8.5%, respectively. 4) Evergy pro forma data uses rolling twelve-month average of total revenues and sales ending March 2023 and includes adjustments for the annualized impacts of: ACA/RECA (implemented April 1, 2023). TDC (implemented May 1, 2023); Kansas Income Tax reductions; and Property Tax Surcharge update; outcomes of rate case settlement in docket 23-EKCE-775-RTS. Evergy data is sourced from FERC Form 1 pg. 304 and general ledger and inclusive of customer bill credits. The corresponding change in total rates for Evergy KS Central and Evergy KS Metro were 4.9% and -9.5%, respectively.
