The Kansas Corporation Commission on Nov. 6 approved a proposed order adopting a unanimous settlement that establishes new large-load power service (LLPS) tariff rates for Evergy intended for customers that the settlement identifies as having peak loads ‘‘reasonably expected to be equal to or in excess of a monthly maximum demand of 75 megawatts.’’

Commissioners voted to approve the order after staff presented the settlement and described the evidentiary record supporting it. Brian Fadoten, a commission presenter, said the application was filed Feb. 11 and that a joint motion for a unanimous settlement was filed Aug. 18 by a broad set of parties including Evergy, commission staff, CURB, the Data Center Coalition, Sierra Club, NRDC, Google, KIC, Occidental, Lawrence Paper Company, APS and others.

The settlement creates a tariff pathway for very large customers and includes multiple provisions designed to protect existing ratepayers. Among the provisions summarized to the commission: customers who take service under the LLPS tariff as defined in the settlement must take service for a minimum five-year term with an optional transition ramp-up period plus 12 years; unless mutually agreed otherwise the agreement automatically extends for an additional five years at the end of the term. The settlement also requires a written notice of 36 months before a customer may terminate or change rate schedules; early termination triggers an exit fee calculated as the nominal value of the minimum monthly bill multiplied by the number of months remaining or 12 months, whichever is greater, with higher penalties if notice is less than 36 months.

Fadoten told the commission that LLPS customers will remain subject to other retail charges and riders, including the retail energy cost adjustment, energy efficiency rider, property tax charge and transmission delivery charges, and that the tariff sets a minimum monthly bill equal to 80% of contract demand. The settlement also requires customers to provide collateral equal to two years of minimum monthly bills as calculated by Evergy.

Fadoten relayed testimony (Darren Ives, vice president of regulatory affairs for Evergy) that direct transmission costs to connect those large customers would be directly assigned to the specific large customers and that any system upgrades needed to serve them would proceed through Southwest Power Pool processes so costs are allocated to customers that benefit. The order as described to the commission concludes the record shows substantial competent evidence that the settlement results in just and reasonable rates and is in the public interest because it balances protections for existing customers with incentives for large-load development.

Commissioner Keane said the settlement ‘‘represents an effort to try to balance the need for explicit procedures to enhance and enable prospective large load customers … with the need to simultaneously protect other ratepayers from bearing costs that do not benefit them’’ and said he would support the order. Chair French said the settlement ‘‘proactively support[s] economic development, large investments in our state, while at the same time erecting guardrails to protect existing customers from financial risk associated with that.’’

A motion and second were made to approve the order; the commission voted aye and the proposed order adopting the settlement was approved.

The order and the settlement agreement itself are attached to the docket (25EKME315TAR) for review; the transcript and evidentiary filings cited by staff are part of the record supporting the commission’s findings.