Energy + Environment
Evergy earnings shot up following February cold snap that forced blackouts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Evergy more than doubled its earnings in the first quarter compared to the beginning of 2020, largely due to the profits it made on sky-high wholesale energy prices during a February cold snap that forced it to cut off power to thousands of customers across the region. The utility, which serves […]
Missouri bill targeting DNR clears House committee, still faces uncertain future
A Missouri House committee advanced a sweeping bill environmentalists say would hamper the state’s ability to enforce clean air and water laws. But several amendment votes could undermine the bill’s prospects in the Senate. The House Emerging Issues Committee voted 7-4 Wednesday in favor of a bill that places various limitations on Missouri’s environmental regulators […]
No details yet on Biden conservation plan, but Republicans slam it as a ‘land grab’
Republicans on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday previewed their objections to the Biden administration’s still-unreleased plan to conserve 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030. President Joe Biden created what is commonly called the “30 by 30 plan” in a Jan. 27 executive order, but the administration hasn’t released details about how […]
Less pollution, lower bills: Missouri, Kansas move ahead on utility securitization
Utility providers across Kansas and Missouri may soon be able to retire coal-fired power plants faster as the energy sector accelerates its transition to renewable energy sources. Kansas already passed legislation that allows companies to shutter coal plants, which release considerable amounts of carbon dioxide, without the financial hit that would otherwise come from closing […]
Evergy to shutter Kansas coal plant, speed transition to renewable energy
Evergy, an electric supplier to about 600,000 customers in western Missouri, will retire its coal power plant in Lawrence, Kansas, by the end of 2023, the company announced on Friday. The utility revealed its plan to regulators in a filing with the Missouri Public Service Commission. The “integrated resource plan” lays out Evergy’s next few years […]
EPA investigation finds Missouri out of compliance with federal civil rights rules
Federal officials are investigating whether Missouri environmental regulators violated the civil rights of St. Louis residents by issuing an air pollution control permit to a fuel transport business located near predominantly Black neighborhoods. Already, investigators with the Environmental Protection Agency have found the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is out of compliance with regulations requiring […]
U.S. Supreme Court hears high-stakes arguments in biofuels case
Oil refiners and biofuels interests squared off in oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday. As is usually the case, the justices grilled lawyers from both sides before submitting the case for a decision later, most likely in a couple of months or more. Hollyfrontier Cheyenne Refining LLC v. Renewable Fuels Association addresses questions […]
Schmitt joins Republican AGs taking aim at ‘social cost of carbon’ emissions
The attorneys general in Missouri and Kansas have joined their Republican counterparts in 20 states demanding that the federal government not consider the social cost of carbon emissions when determining whether to approve new natural gas pipelines. Eric Schmitt of Missouri and Derek Schmidt of Kansas filed comments with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Monday […]
Missouri bill targeting environmental protections moves ahead in House
Missouri legislators are moving forward with an effort to loosen the state’s environmental regulations that critics contend could harm the state’s water and air — and its budget. Business groups and Republican lawmakers say the bill would help businesses that are treated unfairly by an “aggressive” Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “At the end of […]
Poll: Many farmers still doubt that humans drive climate change
Farmers continue to question whether climate change is driven by humans, which is the consensus of scientists worldwide, an Iowa State University researcher has found. ISU sociology professor J. Arbuckle, drawing largely from ISU’s Farm and Rural Life Poll, said farmers have become more open to conversations about carbon emissions and climate change. “Farmers are […]
State-supported ‘clean energy’ loans put Missouri borrowers at risk of losing their homes
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Diana Thomas needed a new furnace and four small basement windows for her two-story home on the east side of Kansas City. But she had little cash and bad credit. In late 2016, a contractor told her about a loan program that required no money down and would […]
Report says hundreds of levees endanger Missouri River. One county is trying a new way
KANSAS CITY — As he watched the river forecasts in early 2019, Regan Griffin hoped for the best. Maybe the Missouri River would top its levees in a few places but spare his community. That year turned out to be one of the most severe floods in recent memory. Parts of Atchison County, where Griffin […]