Evergy seeks higher Missouri West rates; typical bill up about $17.25 a month

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KQTV) -- Evergy Missouri West on Tuesday asked state regulators to raise electric rates, saying the request would add about $17.25 a month for a typical residential customer while funding new power plants and grid work.

In a news release Monday afternoon, utility company officials said they filed the request with the Missouri Public Service Commission. Evergy said the ask is $61 million lower than it otherwise would have been because of expected annual revenue from large data centers.

If approved as filed, an average residential customer using 1,005 kilowatt-hours a month would see an increase of about $17.25, the company said.

Evergy Missouri West serves more than 340,000 customers, including St. Joseph, Liberty, Platte City, Harrisonville and Warrensburg. Most customers in the Kansas City metro area are served by Evergy Missouri Metro and would not be affected by this filing, the company said. Customers can confirm their service territory on their Evergy bill or online account.

Chairman and CEO David Campbell said Missouri West customers have the company’s lowest rates and some of the lowest in the Midwest and the nation, and that data center revenue is helping reduce the size of the request.

“The investments included in this request will add new power plants and strengthen the system serving our Missouri West customers. At the same time, revenue from new data centers is helping reduce the amount we are requesting,” Campbell said in a statement.

What Evergy says is driving the request

Evergy said the filing seeks recovery of costs tied to new generation and more than $650 million in grid investments since its last Missouri West rate case in 2024, including advanced technology and replacement of aging equipment.

The company said the Foxtrot Energy Center and Sunflower Sky Energy Center are expected to begin serving Missouri West customers in spring 2027. Together, the solar projects would provide 172 megawatts — enough to power about 34,000 homes, Evergy said. The Public Service Commission reviews and approves new plants before Evergy builds them or recovers related costs, the company said.

Evergy is also seeking recovery of construction costs for natural gas plants scheduled to begin serving customers in 2029, 2030 and 2032. Those plants would provide 1,065 megawatts for Missouri West customers, the company said. Evergy argued that recovering construction costs during the process lowers overall customer costs by reducing financing costs that would otherwise accrue interest.

Campbell said market conditions have changed and that company-owned generation is now a more reliable and cost-effective approach than relying primarily on the regional energy market.

“As the regional energy market evolves, these power plant investments will provide reliable electricity while supporting price stability for our Evergy Missouri West customers,” Campbell said. “These solar and natural gas generation facilities provide complementary resources to meet customers’ needs efficiently.”

Evergy said 2025 was its best year for reliability companywide, with customer outage minutes down 18% compared with the previous four years.

Rate comparisons (company claims)

Evergy said Missouri West electric rates are lower than those of 85% of U.S. utilities, citing federal Energy Information Administration data. The company also said that from 2017 through 2026, Evergy customers have seen some of the lowest increases in the United States.

Over the last nine years, Evergy said, residential electricity prices in neighboring Midwestern states rose about 30%, while inflation rose about 33%. In the same period, Evergy said Missouri West residential rates rose about 9%, or roughly 1% a year on average.

Those comparisons come from Evergy and have not been independently verified for this report. EIA figures cited in the company’s materials are described as preliminary and subject to change.

Data centers

Evergy Missouri West said it serves two large data centers under rates for customers that need 75 megawatts or more. Expected annual revenue from those large customers reduced the rate request by $61 million, the company said.

According to Evergy, those rates include protections for other customers: large data center customers pay a premium compared with other large energy users; customers using 75 megawatts or more must sign long-term contracts with minimum payment guarantees; and data centers pay upfront for direct costs of serving their facilities.

“Our large customer rate structure allows the revenue from data centers to put downward pressure on rates for all other customers while providing important protections against shifting the costs of serving those data centers to our existing customers,” Campbell said.

Earnings-sharing proposal

As part of the filing, Evergy proposed an earnings-sharing mechanism. If company profit exceeds its allowed return, 65% of earnings above that threshold would be returned to customers, Evergy said.

Help with bills

Evergy pointed customers to tools including the Average Payment Plan and payment arrangements. The company said that in 2025 it helped customers access nearly $25 million in bill assistance. Missouri options it listed include the Evergy Economic Relief Program, LIHEAP, an adjustable due date program and a critical medical needs program.

Customers can review options at www.evergy.com. Evergy also operates Evergy Connect, a walk-in location at 1710 Paseo Blvd. in Kansas City, with weekday help on billing and payments and periodic resource events.

What happens next

Missouri utilities must seek a rate review at least once every four years. Filing starts an approximately 11-month review by the Public Service Commission. Regulators, consumer advocates and other parties can challenge or propose changes. Customers will have chances to submit written comments or testify at public hearings in 2027, Evergy said.

Final rates are set by commission order and may differ from the company’s request. Case documents are available through the Missouri Public Service Commission website.