Kansas senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall are asking for an explanation from a federal agency on a decision regarding electricity transmission costs.   The senators say the costs are having an unfair impact on Kansas consumers.

Kansas residents are paying for 67 percent of the transmission costs for wind energy that is generated in the state, but they have only needed to use about 30 percent of that energy.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a ruling last year that would have corrected this cost allocation, but the agency recently reversed that decision.

Senators Moran and Marshall are urging the FERC to reinstate the original ruling and make sure that Kansas energy customers are not subsidizing energy usage in surrounding states.

Moran and Marshall have signed a letter to FERC, and Moran stated in the letter that “Kansas is home to an abundance of energy production, but families and businesses have been paying inflated transmission costs as a result of FERC procedure.  It is FERC’s statutory obligation to make sure costs are allocated in a manner that is roughly commensurate with the benefits received. I urge the commission to work with stakeholders to create a reasonable cost allocation plan that does not overburden Kansas ratepayers.”