McPherson Board of Public Utilities offers a balanced energy portfolio to ensure stable, affordable electric rates while being supportive of our customers’ renewable energy goals.
BPU’s ultra-competitive electric rates are attributed to BPU’s long-term, mutually beneficial Interconnection Agreement with the investor-owned utility, Evergy.
This partnership dates back to 1972, when BPU and Evergy ( formerly Kansas Power and Light Co. and Westar Energy) entered into a mutually beneficial agreement where Evergy supplies base capacity and energy to BPU in exchange for peaking capacity from BPU’s combustion turbine fleet.
As part of supporting BPU’s requirement to provide peaking capacity the utility owns, operates, and maintains four (4) combustion turbines. BPU’s total generational capacity is 235 megawatts. With dual fuel capabilities, these turbines ensure a reliable peaking resource available for all weather seasons. BPU’s overall energy portfolio consists of coal, wind, and market purchases. Our energy mix is:
- McPherson BPU receives approximately 35% of its total electricity through two Kansas wind farms.
- In 2017 BPU grew its partnership in Evergy and began receiving 37 megawatts of renewable capacity from the Kingman Wind Energy Center, located in south-central Kansas.
- Later in 2021, BPU continued its desire to further expand its renewable energy portfolio by again partnering with Evergy to receive 75 megawatts of renewable capacity from the Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center, located in northeast Kansas.
Both power purchase agreements have yielded a low cost, renewable energy piece to BPU’s overall energy portfolio