On August 31, Evergy filed an application for the construction of a new natural gas energy generation facility to be built in Buchanan County, Missouri, about an hour north of Kansas City. Within the application, Evergy expresses the need for more energy generation due to an increased demand- largely due to large load customers such as hyperscale data center facilities. As more data centers look to call Missouri home, there will likely be more and more energy generation facilities being built to meet the demand of these facilities that use enormous amounts of energy for their daily operations. Increasing grid capacity through natural gas and other non-renewable means is a big environmental issue.
The electric power industry is already the country’s largest toxic polluter. Coal is used to generate over half of the electricity produced in Missouri. Every step of electricity generation via coal comes with environmental or human health risks. For example, the trace elements contained in coal are pollutants that can adversely impact human health by irritating the body’s ability to respirate, or potentially causing cancer or impairing reproduction, for example. Environmentally, coal damages ecosystems and burning coal emits large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is a greenhouse gas. The health and environmental effects caused by coal power plant emissions include coal dust (dust from coal before it is burned) and coal ash (waste left behind from the burning of coal which is composed of toxic heavy metals) which physically pollute nearby areas and may cause a haze which causes difficulties seeing and breathing; land, surface water, and groundwater contamination; and, destruction of biodiversity from mining coal which results in damage to plants, animals and humans.Similarly, the process of producing energy that comes from natural gas also poses environmental and human health risks. During the extraction process, land disturbance which is required for oil and gas drilling can negatively alter ecosystems by disrupting wildlife and causing erosion which can allow pollutants to enter local waterways. In order to access natural gas and petroleum through hydraulic fracturing, very high quantities of water can be needed. Air pollution emitted from gas plants includes nitrogen oxides (NOx) during combustion. When exposed to NOx and other gas infrastructure air pollutants, respiratory illnesses can develop.
In 2021, Evergy’s filed Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) established a carbon reduction timeline that included retiring nearly 1,200 megawatts of coal-based fossil generation and adding 3,200 MW of renewable generation by 2031. They stated that by 2024, thecompany would retire its Lawrence (KS) Energy Center and add 700 MW of solar energy. The plan was to run fossil plants more when renewable availability is low, but to prioritize a measured transition toward more sustainable resource options. As of 2026, the Lawrence coal plant remains open and Evergy is working to build more fossil fuel plants.
The schedule for this project has been released and there will be an in-person public hearing on Monday, November 16 at 6 pm at Missouri Western State University in rooms Blum 219 and 222. There will also be virtual public hearings via WebEx at noon and 6 pm on Tuesday, November 17.
To make a comment or ask a question at the WebEx session, you must register by 5 pm Monday, November 16 by calling 800-392-4211.
