Evergy outlines $17.5 billion capital plan, new gas and solar builds to meet rising demand

David Campbell, chief executive officer of Evergy, told a Kansas House committee that the company will pursue a multibillion-dollar investment program to preserve affordability while meeting sharply rising electricity demand.

Campbell said Evergy expects about $17.5 billion in capital investment from 2025 through 2029, with roughly one-third of that total funding new generation and nearly half devoted to transmission and distribution improvements. He said the utility has announced multiple new gas-fired plants in Kansas and is planning utility-scale solar projects in both Kansas and Missouri.

The spending program, Campbell said, is designed to balance “affordability, reliability, and sustainability” — the three priorities he said guide Evergy’s strategy. He told committee members that savings produced after the 2018 merger of legacy utilities have helped hold down rate increases for Kansas customers even as the company invests in new infrastructure.

Campbell said the company’s planned generation portfolio additions include combined-cycle natural-gas units expected to enter service in 2029 and 2030, with one site identified near Viola in Sumner County and another near Hutchinson in…