State Energy Plans and Funding in Kansas and Surrounding States

State Energy Plans

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, an energy plan is a long-term roadmap to focus and guide efforts and actions toward a defined vision. Energy plans catalog existing energy consumption, sources, and users; define goals and develop strategies and actions to meet those goals; and identify the needed resources to ensure effective completion of the energy plan.

Kansas State Energy Plan

The Kansas Energy Council published a state energy plan and report annually from 2003 to 2009. From 2003 to 2006, each plan and report included the following information:

• An overview of energy use in Kansas and both Kansas and national events that could impact energy consumption in the state (e.g. late-summer flooding that damaged rail lines, which halted coal trains moving through the state);
• The Council’s actions, accomplishments, and activities;
• Energy policy and planning;
• Priority study items; and
• Recommended legislative actions.

From 2007 to 2009, the plan and report included sections on existing policies and programs and recommendations in the areas of:

• Fossil fuels;
• Wind energy;
• Energy conservation and efficiency;
• Energy use in the transportation sector;
• Energy use in agriculture, biomass, and biofuels;
• Energy education;
• Energy economics; and
• The environment and electricity.

Currently, Kansas does not have a state energy plan.

The Kansas Energy Council

The Kansas Energy Council, formerly The State Energy Resources Coordination Council, was created in June 2004 through Executive Order 04-05. On December 31, 2008, the Kansas Energy Council was dissolved through Executive Order 08-13.

Federal Funding

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act created multiple clean-energy grant programs for which state, local, and tribal governments are eligible. Communities with a strong plan in place will be in a better position to compete for federal funding opportunities, as well as grants, partnerships, and state/local funding. In addition, private sector financing and funding structures, such as power purchase agreements, energy as a service, and energy saving performance contracts, are available for efficiency upgrades and renewable energy installations.

Kansas Funding for Clean Energy and Power, Executive Order 04-05

As of September 2023, according to the White House’s Kansas BIL Fact Sheet, approximately $57.9 million has been allocated to Kansas for clean energy, energy efficiency, and power in 2022 and 2023. This includes:

• $32 million for weatherization;
• $5.4 million through the State Energy Program;
• $4.6 million through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program; and
• $13.6 million to prevent outages and make the power grid more resilient. Additional grid funding will be made available in the coming months.

Surrounding States and their Comprehensive Energy Plans

All five states surrounding Kansas have a comprehensive state energy plan.