Residents raise concerns over proposed Evergy natural gas power plant

BUCHANAN COUNTY, Mo. (KQTV) -- Residents are concerned as Evergy seeks approval from Missouri and Kansas to build a natural gas-fired electric generating facility in Buchanan County.

The site would be known as the Buchanan Bluffs Energy Center Unit 2, which is proposed to be located at SE State Route E, South of Highway 169, just west of Gower, Missouri.

The site, which is also expected to be built by 2032, will include a 710-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle gas turbine electric generating plant. There will be two units on site.

One unit will generate power for Missouri, while the other unit will generate power for Kansas.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, power plants and industrial facilities fueled by natural gas contribute to several types of air pollution, which can cause health issues and damage to the environment.

Residents in the area were surprised to hear about the proposed plant. A public announcement was released, but many residents said it was difficult to find.

"We had some friends that we’re expressing their concerns, and then there were some posts on social media," Joy Budine said. Several of the neighbors got involved, and we started looking into it."

Bundie is the owner of Joy of Learning Farm School; she said many parents are concerned about the effects it’s going to have on the community.

"We have 30 to 35 children that are three years old to six years old here every single day. The environmental factors that are going to contribute to having a power plant so close to us is very alarming," she said. "We wanted to dive in and advocate for the families and the children here."

Many residents didn’t find out until a resident made a Facebook post talking about the proposed plant.

"I found out last Thursday, and then I posted on social media within the area because we’re so close to Agency and Gower," Thalia Insco said. "I posted in both the local forums on Facebook. Just letting people be aware of what is coming our way."

Sandra Verdi is another concerned resident, and she is not happy about the proposed plant.

"We live out in the country for a reason. For the peace and quiet, for cleaner air, we had no idea that this was happening until over the weekend," she said. "My biggest concern is health risks, the pollution and the emissions. It’s not healthy."

Verdi is also concerned about school district in the area.

"East Buchanan School District is just five miles from the proposed site they are wanting to put it on," she said. "What about our kids?"

Evergy sent a statement to KQ2 stating:

Buchanan Bluffs Energy Center is a critical investment that will better serve all Evergy customers, especially residents in Northwest Missouri. It would provide Northwest Missouri with much-needed firm, dispatchable generation produced at an Evergy-owned plant.

This provides stability, rather than relying on market-purchased power and being exposed to the unstable pricing of the market. 

Buchanan Bluffs will also help meet Missouri’s growing energy demand, and support economic development throughout the region

Residents in the area have been filing complaints with the Missouri Public Service Commission, as they have expressed concerns about not wanting the power plant in the area.

Insco is asking for support from people in the community to file complaints.

"Either electronically or with your telephone, you can leave a voice message, and it counts as a complaint," she said. "We’re reaching out we want to spread the word so that everyone is aware."

The Missouri Public Service Commission set an intervention deadline for Sept. 17.