Governor Laura Kelly has signed a bill that will provide emergency loan assistance for communities facing massive spikes in their energy costs after the deep freeze which hit Kansas and other states last month.
House Substitute for Senate Bill 88 is using $100 million in state idle funds in the form of 10-year loans with a maximum interest rate of 2 percent.
Kelly says the full extent of potential spikes hasn’t come to light yet, but she says residents and communities alike will be impacted. Kelly has already asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to investigate the matter, and the Kansas Corporation Commission is working with utilities across the state to help soften the blow.
As utilities have done over the past two-plus weeks, Kelly also encouraged residents to apply for emergency relief through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program or through 12-month average payment plans. The application window for LIEAP assistance closes March 31. Click here for a link to the Kansas Department for Children and Families information page.
