BPU taking public comments on draft plan that includes electric rate increase

The Board of Public Utilities is taking public comments on a draft plan that includes a proposed 5 percent rate hike for electric customers.

A previous column about the BPU rate increases appeared in the Wyandotte Daily News on Sept. 4 at https://wyandotteonline.com/column-bpu-examines-rate-structure/.

The following news release Sept. 12 from the BPU outlined the comment procedures for this plan. Copies of the plan are on the BPU website at http://www.bpu.com/Portals/0/pdf/IntegratedResourcePlan.pdf.

BPU news release:

The Kansas City, Kan., Board of Public Utilities, in accordance with Federal Regulation, 10 CFR, Part 905.11, is taking public comment and making available for review its draft 2014 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).

Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) is a process that involves consideration of demand-side options in addition to traditional supply-side options in meeting the power needs of an electrical system. Such planning focuses on the need to seek and evaluate opportunities for savings of demand and energy in addition to evaluating traditional supply resources. It is an on-going planning process that is updated as conditions, price costs, technologies and power requirements change. The object of such planning is to find a least cost solution which will supply customers the amount and quality of electric service they desire while at the same time promoting the utility’s long term financial health.

BPU is required by law to file an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with Western Area Power Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (WAPA), and update the plan every five years. As part of this requirement, BPU must also submit annual progress reports and the status of its IRP. The report being made available is the draft BPU’s 2014 IRP.

Public comments on BPU’s draft 2014 IRP will be accepted for 30 days from notice of this publication. Comments can be forwarded to the Settlement Analyst, Andrew Ferris using any of the contact methods which appear below.

Paper print copies of the draft 2014 IRP are available to the public by request. To receive a print copy, please contact:

SPP Settlement Analyst
Board of Public Utilities 312 N. 65th Street
Kansas City, KS 66102
Attn: Andrew Ferris

Electronic copies are available by submitting requests to [email protected], and are also available on BPU’s website at the following http://www.bpu.com/Portals/0/pdf/IntegratedResourcePlan.pdf link.

For additional questions regarding the draft 2014 IRP, please contact Andrew Ferris, 913-573-6838.