[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6652577,"mediaKeyId","2490499-d35a03470bb35ed0e7400a1f650015c4","parentId",2490499,"title","KCC outlines federal-fund uncertainty, docket overhaul costs and regulatory responsibilities","audioSeconds",1448,"startMs",1877000,"endMs",3325000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2490499-d35a03470bb35ed0e7400a1f650015c4&start=1877&end=3325","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2490499-d35a03470bb35ed0e7400a1f650015c4/thumbnail_1877000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6652577/Kansas/KCC-outlines-federal-fund-uncertainty-docket-overhaul-costs-and-regulatory-responsibilities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6652577-f676bdfe6e5e615ef39a2b4328d65444/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136998&Signature=VYm1Pi0dCm6xeR4fnaSv6OB-C3UadAO6DJwCvOlpW2yDbQSasSYfbM62RoDumD9Qfp5qvW7JV66lTtR0k3w57Ekbejakv9RN2BlyyOmUEtLXEBtozrq7tqqOtauZrP8OkafGhLt1RZqd8WUHD29yYomPL82dbmke6p-QjCdjTXeCzBdgzIj0B0Jn9191NajqoFkG1tGs6DOHhc-3lRK5Sq-XFTV1fZjZa~CXE1wEWZfkJ9QTa2LWut1RD6eYwHssb6cdfBfU9v3ILWUp7DR5hzG9qvYLKpBZbJTDqF-VANNvS0XNhtN9JInlWv1Jtyo7jeTEdXjbYsGd1H0Qr1lKtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Utilities ","date","2025-03-04T20:46:11.32Z","article","Kansas Corporation Commission leaders briefed the Utilities Committee on budget changes driven by federal program timing, a multi-year docket overhaul and the agency’s regulatory structure.

Luke Drury, senior fiscal analyst with the Legislative Research Department, told the committee that the KCC’s FY2025 request shows a roughly $1.9 million increase in agency fee funds largely attributable to a docket-overhaul project. He also described a projected deletion of about $14.7 million in federal funds for FY2025 and an estimated increase of $25.4 million in federal funds for FY2026; Drury tied those swings to timing and uncertainty around federal programs funded through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and to earlier procurement delays.

Andrew French, chair of the Kansas Corporation Commission, described the commission’s mission and divisions and highlighted that the KCC operates without state general funds, relying mainly on assessments, registration fees and operating charges assessed on regulated industries. “We have the responsibility to regulate natural gas, electricity, telephone, commercial motor carriers and also oil and gas producers,” French said, and he stressed that the commission does not generally regulate municipal utilities, most electric cooperatives or wireless and internet services.

Committee members asked about federal funding uncertainty. Drury said an executive order has paused some releases of federal monies related to certain green-energy programs and that appropriations-language authority in state budget bills would remain in place pending federal action. The agency explained that some federal monies anticipated under IRA/BIL have been re‑timed or re‑estimated as federal award timing becomes clearer.

The KCC described several program-level details: the energy division’s expansion of federally funded programs, continued federal funding for an orphaned-well plugging program, and the use of contractual services to administer some large federal grant programs because state staff do not always have grant-administration capacity. The agency also provided enforcement metrics: in FY2024 the commission held 95 business meetings, 17 evidentiary hearings, six public hearings, issued 3,748 orders and recorded penalty orders whose total approaches roughly $1 million; the agency noted those penalties are remitted to the state general fund rather than retained by the commission.

Transportation-division enforcement drew specific questions. Mike Hamey, the KCC transportation director, said the division has intensified compliance work and that many carriers are noncompliant with Unified Carrier Registration and other federal requirements; that enforcement focus has increased the number of penalty orders. Hamey said a high out-of-service rate among targeted carriers (the division cited a 55% noncompliance/out-of-service figure in its remarks) accounts for the increase in enforcement orders.

On energy policy, Senator Bowser asked whether Kansas needs a state strategic energy plan. French said setting a statewide energy strategy is a legislative policy choice and that the KCC’s role is as a traditional utility regulator that reviews and, when necessary, approves cost recovery and resource plans submitted by utilities. He added that no single technology is a clear “silver bullet” and that most analysts favor a diversified mix of resources to meet growing demand.

The committee did not take votes at the hearing; presenters invited follow-up questions and emphasized the continuing uncertainty tied to federal program timing and the administrative work needed to implement large federal grants.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Utilities 03/04/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Kansas Corporation Commission officials told the Utilities Committee they expect large year-to-year swings in federal funding tied to IRA and infrastructure programs, a fee-funded docket overhaul continues to drive near-term fee increases, and the commission clarified its regulatory scope and recent enforcement activity.","taxTitle","Utilities, Standing, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Kansas","taxId",18813,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6652582,"Lawmakers review CURB budget, hear agency's rate-case workload and consumer role",0,1377000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2490499-d35a03470bb35ed0e7400a1f650015c4&start=1377&end=1377","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2490499-d35a03470bb35ed0e7400a1f650015c4/thumbnail_1377000.jpg","/articles/6652582/Kansas/Lawmakers-review-CURB-budget-hear-agencys-rate-case-workload-and-consumer-role","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6652582-507f302bd98c4a49c09d726aeeefb5eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136998&Signature=EoQwp4ayAGFoDzDdHKjHjqZp3pS0XuxKHpcWw6llWmzBFX5KwITZzzyZnbAbleTTYMo4ri8h3gBQPOc8BYrtV3TeL4RVzUvQkJiXByNu5i7O5A~xmmwWlZf-iGJusYX822vdlJ~HxkSTKqgTI9IvMbeSlJC1NDKBAzLGs-Sn7gqhgm1Lq9nvd43wklxTTU8uF~GUHGZ-2aug1MVKRxtWhKVTtH~6zwbj3WHq9ekpnDjO~ukg9k0-QS4qwZ3vx40tjQmfXtFq-BZcWIPQ6h0CxlOu1ljyWa8Vo3y-WWnoQiZCirsH-GJXF3HGluBbBMx9yQFbhww8Fiosmtdrd~Ljig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Kansas Legislature’s Utilities Committee reviewed the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board budget and received testimony on the board’s recent workload and performance measures.

Luke Drury, senior fiscal analyst with the Legislative Research Department, told the committee the CURB budget is fee-funded and that the numbers shown in the committee materials are the same as those contained in House Bill 2007 as it currently stands. He noted that CURB carried over $88,000 in unspent consultant funds from fiscal 2024 into the agency’s base for 2025 and that the FY2026 request reflects modest changes such as a $3,000 net increase in salaries and wages (about 0.4%), higher group health insurance and employer KPERS rates, OITS communication costs, and a small $76 net deletion mostly tied to fringe and commodity adjustments.

Joseph Astrab, consumer counsel for the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board, summarized performance-based budgeting metrics and a multi-year caseload. “My name is Joseph Astrab. I am the consumer counsel for the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board or CURB,” he told the committee, and described CURB’s in-house work on Kansas Corporation Commission dockets including Evergy’s integrated resource plan, general rate cases, and post–winter-storm tariff work. Astrab said the agency compares the in-house cost of its work with the hypothetical cost of hiring similar work out privately and that CURB’s interventions have produced ratepayer savings in contested proceedings.

Astrab and Drury told senators CURB is entirely fee funded and did not request general fund appropriations or supplements for the reviewed period. Astrab described the office’s consumer-assistance role: CURB takes phone calls and emails from individual customers, helps them understand bills and regulatory processes and assists with preparing filings before the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), but it does not represent individual customers in civil litigation or file private lawsuits on their behalf. “We don’t necessarily represent individuals in that capacity…we help people navigate that,” Astrab said.

Committee members pressed for explanations of past expenditure swings and longer-term growth. Drury deferred detailed line-item explanations to the agency but said a portion of year-to-year change reflects consultant carryovers and a legislative pay plan; Astrab said spikes in spending can follow major dockets that require contracted analysis or extended staff hours. Senators also asked about CURB’s governance: Astrab said the five-member CURB board was established by statute in 1989 and last amended in 1992 and that there is no statutory requirement limiting political-party composition for the CURB board as there is for the KCC commissioners.

Senators raised policy questions that lie outside CURB’s regulatory remit. On proposed legislation about utility civil liability for wildfire, Astrab told the committee the civil-negligence portion of such a bill is a matter for the civil courts and the legislature and outside CURB’s mandate, but that CURB could intervene in KCC dockets tied to wildfire training or related regulatory investigations. “Because that’s a type of civil court work that’s outside of our mandates, we are able to help them with being able to say what’s negligence or how to sue in that regard,” Astrab said.

Committee members asked for follow-up information, including a request from Senator Warren for a breakdown of the CURB board’s members by political affiliation; Astrab said he would follow up. No formal committee action or vote on the agency’s budget occurred during the hearing.

CURB officials made materials available in committee handouts, and both Drury and Astrab invited follow-up questions by email for detailed expenditure or docket-specific inquiries.","The Kansas Legislature’s Utilities Committee reviewed the fee-funded Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board budget and heard testimony on CURB’s workload in major utility dockets, its role representing residential and small commercial ratepayers, and limits on its authority to pursue individual consumer litigation.","actionData","errors"]

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KCC outlines federal-fund uncertainty, docket overhaul costs and regulatory responsibilities

Lawmakers review CURB budget, hear agency's rate-case workload and consumer role