LIBERTY FILES TO ADJUST KANSAS ELECTRIC RATES

IN SUPPORT OF CUSTOMER INITIATIVES

 

Joplin, Missouri –May 28, 2021 – On May 27, 2021, The Empire District Electric Company (doing business as Liberty) filed a request with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to adjust electric base rates. The new rates would take effect in 2022 and reflect Liberty’s efforts to better serve customers through the transition to clean, less expensive renewable energy and investments to strengthen and modernize our infrastructure for improved reliability and a stronger grid.

“Our customers depend on reliable energy in times of emergency and for their daily activities,” said Tim Wilson, Liberty Central Region Vice President. “To protect our communities and keep energy affordable, it’s critical that we safeguard our system to make it more resilient and invest in sustainable solutions that provide cost savings and can serve customers safely and reliably for years to come.”

Key Customer Initiatives included in the Rate Request

If approved by regulators, the rate adjustment in 2022 for Liberty’s investments would cost average Liberty Kansas electric customers approximately $4.97 per month, or 4.47%, based on a little less than 1,000 kilowatt-hours of usage per month.

Liberty’s investments in critical infrastructure and less-expensive clean energy generation include:

  • Transitioning to clean, renewable energy to save customers money over the long term compared to other energy generation. This includes Liberty’s recently completed 600-megawatt wind energy project consisting of three wind farms: Neosho Ridge Wind in Southeast Kansas and North Fork Ridge and Kings Point in Southwest Missouri.
  • Ensuring customers continue to experience safe, dependable energy through investments in infrastructure to bolster reliability and strengthen our system against the impacts of extreme weather events. This includes improving safety and reliability by replacing more than 400 aging and deteriorating poles and minimizing the impact of outages on customers and speeding restoration by adding a service center in Baxter Springs and sectionalizing 16 circuits. These circuits were some of the worst performing circuits in our system, and these upgrades benefit approximately 95% of our Kansas customers. We’re also reducing outages caused by wildlife, the second leading cause of outages, while protecting the birds and animals that interfere with our system by installing more than 400 wildlife guards.

 

“While building clean, renewable energy generation requires an up-front investment, we’re already saving customers money through this no-fuel energy option and helping to protect customers against future fuel-related increases,” said Wilson. “In addition to sustainable and affordable energy options, our customers expect uninterrupted service. We’re meeting this demand through prudent investments that safeguard reliability and speed outage restoration when an outage does occur.”   

The rate request process can take up to 12 months as the KCC and other stakeholders carefully review Liberty’s request. If approved, new rates would go into effect in 2022. Find more details about Liberty’s investments to better serve customers at www.libertyutilities.com. 

 

About Liberty

A subsidiary of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., Liberty is committed to providing safe and reliable natural gas, water, and electricity distribution services to over one million customer connections. Liberty’s utility operations are primarily located in the United States and Canada and have expanded to Chile and Bermuda. With a customer-centric approach to management, Liberty provides a superior customer experience through local management of walk-in centers, conservation and energy efficiency initiatives, and programs for businesses and residential customers. We measure our performance in terms of service reliability, customer satisfaction, and an unwavering dedication to public and workplace safety. Liberty’s North American distribution operations include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma and Texas in the United States, and New Brunswick, Canada.  For more information, please visit www.libertyenergyandwater.com.

 

 

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