Month: March 2022

Atmos natural gas bills to be going up

As much as $5.19 more a month could be charged

Atmos Energy natural gas bills will be increasing to pay for last February’s high natural gas costs, according to an announcement today from the Kansas Corporation Commission.

The KCC approved a settlement agreement for Atmos to recover $102 million in costs incurred during the February 2021 winter storm.

The KCC estimated that residential customers would see an increase of from $3.75 to $5.19 a month based on a 10-year or 15-year term, according to a KCC news release, although the exact amount of the increase was not yet available.

Parts of Wyandotte County are served by Atmos, while other parts of the county are served by the Kansas Gas Service Co. The KCC also approved a settlement agreement for these higher winter February 2021 costs for Kansas Gas Service Co. in February. A news release stated Kansas Gas Service residential customers may pay an estimated $5 to $7 more a month over a period of five to 10 years.

The KCC stated that under the terms of the settlement, Atmos will apply for Securitized Utility Tariff Bonds to obtain the most favorable financing to reduce costs to ratepayers. The 2021 Kansas Legislature passed the Utility Financing and Securitization Act, which allows utilities to use securitized bonds to pay for extraordinary costs at more favorable terms than traditional financing. The KCC will review the Atmos plan to ensure the lowest possible bond costs will be passed on to customers, according to the news release. The application and review process could take six to eight months.

If ratepayers had been asked to repay the charges over a one-year time period, the cost would have been an additional $47.40 per month, according to the KCC.

The KCC stated it was in the public interest for Atmos to incur the extraordinary costs to ensure the integrity of the gas system and ensure continuous service to its customers.

“A lesser response could have resulted in catastrophic property damage and serious public safety implications, including potential loss of life. When extraordinary costs are unavoidable and necessary to benefit the public, it is in the public interest to allow recovery of such costs,” a KCC spokesman stated.

Today’s order also stated that any proceeds received by Atmos from ongoing federal or state investigations into market manipulation, price gouging or civil suits will be passed on to customers.

Atmos Energy delivers natural gas to about 135,000 Kansas customers.

The KCC order for Atmos can be viewed at https://estar.kcc.ks.gov/estar/ViewFile.aspx/20220324102715.pdf?Id=a5b88cfd-87b2-4f84-8f1a-1753cf72b2f8&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

This story has been updated to reflect the estimates of Kansas Gas Service monthly increases for residents.

Sales tax initiative scheduled for discussion today

Update: The meeting notice was amended today to show there will be Zoom, YouTube and UGTV broadcast of the special session at 5 p.m. today. The public also may view the special session from City Hall, according to the amended meeting notice.

For the Zoom address for the meeting, visit the amended meeting notice at https://civicclerk.blob.core.windows.net/stream/WYCOKCK/4f6369fe-09b0-4d8c-848d-dd1974ba5274.pdf?sv=2015-12-11&sr=b&sig=GoVwbL4rykZ1Us5mBnpMxgdC5gjuEvUhQR6mCDZr4LI%3D&st=2022-03-24T19%3A14%3A02Z&se=2023-03-24T19%3A19%3A02Z&sp=r&rscc=no-cache&rsct=application%2Fpdf.

A special session of the Unified Government on a sales tax initiative is scheduled at 5 p.m. today, March 24, in the fifth floor conference room at City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

The budget strategy session will include a presentation on a sales tax initiative, according to the meeting notice.

The public may view the special session from City Hall, according to the meeting notice.

Rain ending today

National Weather Service graphic

Showers and drizzle should end late this morning, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

While dry weather should return today, temperatures will remain below normal through the weekend, the weather service said. The low will be 34 tonight and it will be 33 on Saturday night.

The temperature at 9 a.m. Thursday was 37 degrees, with a high of 46 expected today, according to the weather service.

Friday should see a high near 59, and Sunday, near 56, the weather service said. On Monday, temperatures could climb into the 70s, with a high near 72.

Today, there is a 20 percent chance of showers between 11 a.m. and noon, and the high should reach about 46, the weather service said. A northwest wind of 7 to 10 mph will gust as high as 21 mph.

Tonight, it will be mostly cloudy, then gradually mostly clear, with a low of 34, according to the weather service. A northwest wind of 6 mph will become calm.

Friday, it will be sunny, with a high near 59, the weather service said. A northwest wind of 6 to 11 mph will increase to 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Winds may gust as high as 28 mph.

Friday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 34 and a northwest wind of 6 to 11 mph, gusting as high as 21 mph, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be sunny, with a high near 56 and a north northwest wind of 5 to 8 mph, the weather service said.

Saturday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 33, according to the weather service.

Sunday, there will be mostly sunny skies, with a high near 56, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 41, according to the weather service.

Monday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 72, the weather service said.

Monday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 55, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 79, the weather service said.

Tuesday night, there is a 50 percent chance of rain, with a low of 48, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, there is a 40 percent chance of rain, with a high near 61, the weather service said.