Heather (staff member) told the Pratt County Commission on July 14 that the Kansas Corporation Commission approved permits last week for Evergy to build two additional natural‑gas power plants — one in Sumner County and one in Reno County — with an estimated $1.6 billion capital investment and an expected in‑service date in 2030. “That’s gonna be about a 1,600,000,000.0 with a b, capital investment to come online in 2030,” Heather said.

The commission was briefed that the projects will require substantial construction and operating work. Heather said the county could see effects on its workforce and contractor availability, noting it “wouldn't be surprised to see some of the workforce potentially staying in Pratt and driving over there for the day.”

Commissioners did not take formal action on the Evergy projects during the meeting; the item was presented as informational. Heather said the permits had been discussed previously but only received regulatory approval from the KCC last week.

Why it matters: large energy‑sector construction projects can pull regional labor and contracting capacity and influence local housing and services demand. The commission’s briefing flagged potential short‑term workforce shifts for Pratt County but did not impose or recommend local measures in response.

No specific mitigation steps, memoranda of understanding with Evergy, or local hiring agreements were proposed or adopted at the meeting.