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A substantial proportion of Kansas’ existing coal fleet will likely stay online longer than planned thanks in part to data center load growth in the state.
The utility Evergy is asking the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Missouri Public Service Commission for permission to delay the retirement or conversion of around 2.8 gigawatts of coal plants across the states by at least five years. Additionally, Evergy plans to build 5 GW of new generation, including 3.9 GW of natural gas.
Overhauling its capacity portfolio is part of the utility’s plans to serve a multi-gigawatt pipeline of large loads.
The pathways and timelines for connecting those loads“has become more certain” as data centers have started signing deals under the utility’s newly-approved large load tariffs, Every wrote in its latest regulatory filings. More than 2 GW of data centers have signed deals under those tariffs so far, the company said in its second quarter earnings call last week. (It also cited 500 MW of non-data center load growth.)
