Westar Energy seeks $19.7M rate increase - Business First of Louisville:

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million, or 1.5 percent. In a Tuesday release, the Topeka-base electric utility (NYSE: WR) said it seeks the rate increase to recoveer costs for expenditures in the second phased of its Emporia Energy Center andtwo company-owneed wind farms in Kansas that were undere construction but not in operatiobn when its 2008 rate case concluded. The if approved by the KCC, would mean a $9.7 milliojn increase in the company’s northn region, which includes Olathe and anda $10 million increased in its south region, which includes the Wichita Westar said. A residential customer using 900 kilowatrthours (kWh) in Westar’s north region could expect an increase of abour $1.
43 a month, the company In the south region, a residential customer using 900 kWh coule expect an increase of 71 centsz a month. If approved, the new average residential rate wouldbe 9.33 cent s per kWh for Westar’s north regioj and 9.11 cents per kWh for its south region. The averaged national residential rateis 11.52 cents per kWh, the compang said. The rate review was part of the agreement reacheds by all parties in the 2008 which the KCC approvedin January, Westar “Although electric rates are goinvg up, we managed our natural gas plantf and wind farm construction costs closely, and they came in more than $22 millio under the original cost estimates and the amounts the KCC indicated would be allowed for recovery in rates,” Westar CEO Bill Moord said in the release.
“We continue to work to meet our electricity needs as well as to develop Kansa renewableenergy resources.” Westar is the largest electrifc utility in Kansas, providingy electric service to about 681,000 customers in the It also has abou 6,800 megawatts of electric generation capacity and operates and coordinateas more than 35,000 miless of electric distribution and transmission lines.