Rebecca Kling, rebecca.kling@sierraclub.org
TOPEKA, KS -- The Sierra Club released a groundbreaking report and research tool today which grades utilities based on their plans to retire coal plants, stop building new gas plants, and invest in clean energy -- allowing readers to judge each utility’s climate progress and how it compares to what science demands.
Evergy Inc received an abysmal score of 4 out of 100. Its subsidiary Evergy Metro fared slightly better, with a score of 8, while Westar/Evergy and Evergy Kansas both received scores of 0, indicating a lack of any substantive commitment to clean energy or addressing the climate crisis. These scores were based upon Evergy’s indication that it plans to keep nearly all of its expensive and polluting coal plants burning Wyoming coal for the next 20 years, instead of transitioning to lower cost, clean energy solutions here in Kansas.
“It’s disappointing that Evergy received such low scores,” said Ty Gorman, Kansas Campaign Representative with the Beyond Coal Campaign. “Kansas is perfectly positioned to be a national leader in both wind and solar energy but, despite Evergy’s so-called Sustainability Transformation Plan and previous progress on their renewable portfolio, the utility intends to keep Kansas on the path of burning coal and fossil gas for many years to come. If Evergy will not voluntarily take the opportunity to utilize clean energy solutions and help lower electric costs for Kansas, perhaps it’s time for the Kansas Legislature and Kansas Corporation Commission to create a comprehensive state energy plan, refinance and recalibrate their energy assets, and actualize this transition.”
Sierra Club will be updating the scores in this analysis on a regular basis. Evergy is developing a new long-range plan (called an Integrated Resources Plan) that is due to regulators on April 1, 2021, in addition to the Sustainability Transformation Plan mentioned above. These new plans represent an opportunity for Evergy to improve its score by truly committing to clean energy.
“The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges report beared out what we’ve long suspected of utility executives who use ‘carbon pledges’ to mollify demands for climate action: They are all talk, but no real action,” said Mary Anne Hitt, National Director of Campaigns at the Sierra Club. “‘Greenwashing’ is alive and well with utilities looking to secretly double down on dirty fossil fuels, and avoid a true transition to clean energy. This report and utility tracker website gives customers the transparency they need to hold their utilities accountable now and in the future.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.