Kansas Renewable Energy

Issues & Programs

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Net Metering

In May 2009, Kansas passed the Net Metering and Easy Connection Act for Investor Owned Utilities (IOU's) only. That means, customers of Westar, KCP&L, and Empire District can now take advantage of this 1 to 1 net metering. Prior to this, only Kansas City BPU had net metering, which was first enacted in August 2007 and later revised in Dec. 2009. Regulations for net metering were approved by the KCC in July 2010, with individual utility riders following. See below for more info.

Kansas Info

Statute 66-1263 through 66-1271. Net metering and easy connection act - Net Metering Statute, Kansas

Net Metering Regulations - as approved by the Kansas Corporation Commission, July 9, 2010

KCP&L Net Metering Info, March 9, 2011
Residential customers up to 25 kw,
Non-residential customers up to 100 kw

Westar Net Metering Rider, March 9, 2011
Residential customers up to 25 kw,
Non-residential customers up to 200 kw

Empire District Net Metering Rider, Effective April 1, 2011
Residential customers up to 25 kw,
Non-residential customers up to 200 kw

Flint Hills REC Net Metering / Parallel Generation

Rolling Hills Coop Net Metering / Parallel Generation, <200 kw systems

Kansas City Board of Public Utilities Net Metering policy - Kansas City Board of Public Utilities

Westar info on Net Metering and Customer-Generators - Westar Energy

Flint Hills Rural Electric Cooperative Net-Metering - Flint Hills Rural Electric Cooperative

Supplemental Note on Senate Substitute to HB 2369 - the energy bill that included the Net Metering and Easy Connection Act, 2009

KEPCo Net Metering Position - KEPCo

Testimony on HB 2713 by Bill Griffith - Kansas Sierra Club, Feb. 11, 2002

U.S. Info

Freeing the Grid: Best and Worst Practices in State Net Metering Policies and Interconnection Procedures, Network for New Energy Choices, Nov. 2009 (Kansas given B for Net Metering and F for interconnection)

IREC Model Net-Metering Rules, Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Nov. 2006

Freeing the Grid: How Effective State Net Metering Laws Can Revolutionize U.S. Energy Policy, Network for New Energy Choices, Report No. 01-06, Nov. 2006

Net Metering Policies - EERE

Connecting to the Grid, (Net metering and interconnection standards by State) - Interstate Renewable Energy Council

Table of State and Utility Net-Metering Rules, Oct. 2006, (PDF, 107 KB) - Interstate Renewable Energy Council

Net Metering Rules for Renewable Energy - DSIRE

Legislation

Kansas House Bill 2713, 2002, (PDF, 66 KB)
AN ACT concerning electrical generation and providing for net metering. Bill did NOT pass committee.

Fiscal Note for HB 2713

News & Viewpoints

Editorial: McPherson BPU instates net metering option
(McPherson Sentinel, Jan. 30, 2012)

Missouri relaxes net metering rule
(St. Louis Business Journal, July 17, 2009)

Missouri residents won't need insurance for some home power
(MSN Money, July 17, 2009)

Net metering impact not great so far
(Pratt Tribune, May 27, 2009)

Alternative energy will get boost from Neb. net metering law
(McCook (Neb.) Gazette, May 14, 2009)

Heineman signs net metering bill into law
(Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star, May 14, 2009)

New law may lower alternative energy costs
(Lawrence Journal-World, May 10, 2009)

Net metering moves Arizona energy rules out of dark ages
(The Zonie Report, April 14, 2009)

Missourians wanting to power their own homes are finding it difficult
(Kansas City Star, Jan. 2, 2009)

Three frequently asked questions about net metering (PDF, 278 KB), p. 4
(RuralPower, Kansas Electric Cooperatives newsletter, August 20, 2004)

Kansas legislators are cautious on a net-metering proposal (PDF, 485 KB), p. 2
(Newsmaker, KEPCo newsletter, January-March 2002)

Testimony on HB 2713 by Bill Griffith, Kansas Sierra Club, February 11, 2002)

Renewable Energy Standard (RES)

In May 2009, Kansas passed the Renewable Energy Standards Act, requiring major utilities (not municipal utilities or most Rural Electric Cooperatives) to have 10% of their energy capacity (measured by the average peak load for the 3 years prior to each step) from renewable sources by 2010, 15% by 2016, and 20% by 2020. To meet this, the utilities can purchase Renewable Energy Credits or generate their own power. If they generate their own, then each MW will count as 1.1 MW toward this RPS. Also note that the RES is based on rated-capacity and not energy produced.

Kansas Info

Statute 66-1256 through 66-1262. Renewable energy standards act - RES Statute, Kansas

Anderson, A.C., B. Gibson, S.W. White, and L. Hagedorn, Economic Benefits of Kansas Wind Energy, Polsinelli-Shughart PC and Kansas Energy Information Network, November 19, 2012.

Glass, Bob and Lana Ellis, Testimony before the Joint Committee on Energy and Environmental Policy Regarding Costs and Effects to Ratepayers of an RPS, Kansas Corporation Commission, Nov. 20, 2012.

Retail Rate Impact Report, Kansas Corporation Commission, March 1, 2013.

Biennial Report on Electric Supply and Demand - Kansas Corporation Commission, Feb. 1, 2013

2011 Kansas Generation Planning Survey - Kansas Corporation Commission, Feb. 2012

Managing Compliance with the Kansas Renewable Energy Standards Act in NAR - North American Renewables Registry

Supplemental Note on Senate Substitute to HB 2369 - the energy bill that included the Renewable Energy Standards Act, 2009

Renewable Portfolio Standards/Renewable Fuels Standards: Issues, Implications, and Strategies, Richard Nelson, Engineering Extension Programs, K-State, Jan. 2006

U.S. Info

States with Renewable Portfolio Standards - EERE

Renewables Portfolio Standards for Renewable Energy - DSIRE

Legislation

Kansas House Bill 2479, 2007, (PDF, 25 KB)
AN ACT concerning renewable portfolio standard for electric public utilities. Bill did NOT pass House Utilities Committee.

News & Viewpoints

Low emissions are no justification for Kansas scaling back renewables
(The London Guardian Environment Blog, Feb. 21, 2013)

Kansas's Renewable Portfolio Standard Is Under Attack
(NRDC Blog, Feb. 16, 2013)

Rieber: Don’t roll back renewable-energy standards
(Wichita Eagle, Feb. 12, 2013)

Kansas considers pulling plug on renewable energy standards
(Topeka Capital-Journal, Feb. 10, 2013)

SEIA Cuts Ties With Controversial Anti-RPS Legislative Group
(Solar Industry, Dec. 4, 2012)

Renewable energy laws in cross-hairs of conservative groups
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dec. 2, 2012)

ALEC will continue attacks on renewables quotas
(Windpower Monthly, Dec. 1, 2012)

ALEC & Heartland: Freedom Fighters?
(Environmental Defense Fund, Nov. 30, 2012)

Climate skeptic group works to reverse renewable energy mandates
(Washington Post, Nov. 24, 2012)

Climate policy advances in the states, but slowly
(Washington Post, Nov. 5, 2012)

Utilities favor mandate for renewable power
(Hutchinson News, Jan. 21, 2009)

Legislators urged to require utilities to use more renewable energy sources
(Lawrence Journal-World, Jan. 21, 2009)

New Hampshire approves renewable energy plan
(Concord (NH) Monitor, April 27, 2007)

Editorial: Show Energy Leadership
(Wichita Eagle, Nov. 20, 2006)

Feed-in Tariff

A Feed-in Tariff is a renewable energy incentive that guarantee's a price for electricity. This type of Tariff is the primary incentive used for renewable energy in Germany and other European countries. Kansas does not have a feed-in tariff and to date hasn't seriously considered one. The States of Vermont and Rhode Island have each adopted Feed-in Tariffs (see below) and other states have considered it.

U.S. Info

Rhode Island Distributed Generation Standard Contracts, National Grid, 2013.

Order Establishing a Standard-offer Program for Qualifying SPEED Resources, Sept. 30, 2009
State of Vermont Public Service Board Docket 7533.

Green Tags

KEIN Green Tags page

Utility Green Pricing

Kansas Info

Westar Renewable Energy Program, effective Sept. 27, 2012
Cost: $1.00 per 100 kwh block

U.S. Info

Green Pricing - EERE

Utility Green Pricing Activities Map - EERE

Utility Programs by State Table - EERE

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Last modified: 03/08/2013
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