Spire, KC Water Partner For KC’s First Renewable Energy Facility

Posted January 16, 2023

St. Louis-based Spire Inc. is partnering with KC Water to develop the first renewable natural gas facility in Kansas City, Mo., generating nearly $1 million in annual revenue for KC Water.

The Kansas City Council approved the project in October 2023, intending to repurpose biogas made from the city’s Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant into renewable natural gas.

The new facility is expected to complete development in 2025. The estimated cost for this project is nearly $20 million, according to a Kansas City Council document.

The energy generated from this facility will be cycled back into the natural gas supply for customers to heat homes, fuel businesses and potentially fuel vehicles. Spire expects the facility to produce 30 million cubic feet of natural gas per year, which could power 4,300 homes in the Kansas City metro.

The renewable energy facility will also capture emissions that escape into the air, improving the air quality surrounding the wastewater plant and reducing greenhouse gasses by an estimated 20,000 tons of CO2 equivalent each year.

“We appreciate the City of Kansas City for selecting Spire for this project. RNG (renewable natural gas) will help us meet our customers’ growing interest in a lower carbon, affordable and reliable source of energy,” Spire vice president of sustainability, Nick Popielski said in a release. “And as part of our commitment to becoming a carbon neutral company by midcentury, we can lower our carbon emissions by incorporating renewable natural gas into the supply we offer our customers.”

The partnership will also generate approximately $1 million of revenue for KC Water per year, according to the release.

Spire’s Missouri branch will be the developer for the project and Burns & McDonnell will provide engineering and construction services.