Kansas Utilities Attempt to Rollback Net Metering

With costs continuing to fall, solar energy is helping Kansas families, schools and businesses take charge of their power supply and their electricity bills like never before. This private investment in solar is helping build a cleaner, safer and more resilient energy supply. It’s great news for Kansas, but monopoly utilities like Westar, and Kansas City Power and Light view competition from solar as a threat to their old way of doing business.

Do you live in Kansas?  If so, we need your help. The largest utilities in Kansas are turning to state government to protect their business against competition from solar. Please speak up for solar now!

Westar Energy and Kansas City Power and Light just introduced two companion bills to the Kansas legislature (HB 2458/SB 280) that would rollback net metering. The legislation would let the utilities hang on to their 100-year-old monopoly business model at the expense of a diverse, competitive, and cleaner Kansas electricity market. Specifically the legislation is attempting to replace the retail to retail credit offered under net metering, for a credit based on 150% of each utility’s avoided cost -thus decimating the customer economics of going solar.

We say every Kansan has the right to generate their own power on their own property, and they have the right to get fair credit for any excess power they send back to the grid.

Our very own Rick Gilliam, Director of Distributed Generation Regulatory Policy, is on his way to Topeka right now to testify against the bills. We’ll keep you updated on any progress!