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Panasonic Plant Could Affect Your Electric Bill Rates

The energy needed to power the Panasonic gigafactory is equivalent to a 'small city' and could lead to higher rates from Evergy.

Posted July 25, 2023

The energy needed for the Panasonic plant in De Soto, Kansas could lead to Evergy increasing its rates on Kansas residents.

Evergy said Kansas customers could be the ones paying the price for infrastructure upgrades to the Panasonic plant as it’s expected to have the same power usage of a “small city” in addition to two new substations and 31 miles of transmission lines.

That infrastructure could lead to Evergy increasing its rates for its consumers. The energy supplier said rates for serving Panasonic are not set and must be approved by the Kansas Corporation Commission.

State regulators are considering a pending request. However, Kansas customers could see their electric bill increase from 2 percent to just under 10 percent, with the greatest increases in more rural areas, Fox 4 reported last week.

Evergy claimed the electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto will be twice as big as its current biggest customer.