Evergy has become the latest utility to pledge to long-term carbon cuts. On Friday, the 1-million-customer utility, formed last year by the merger of Westar Energy and Kansas City Power & Light parent company Great Plains Energy, announced plans to cut carbon emission by 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050. Since 2005, Evergy has reduced the share of coal-fired power in its 6.2-gigawatt generation fleet from 52 percent to 40 percent, while reducing natural gas and oil from 38 percent to 26 percent. At the same time, it increased its share of renewables from less than 1 percent to roughly 27 percent. These changes have already gotten Evergy to a 40 percent reduction in emissions from 2005 levels. To get to 80 percent, the company plans to retire all coal plants in the 2040-2050 timeframe, except its Iatan 2 plant in Missouri. It will also keep Wolf Creek Nuclear Station, which provides about 7 percent of its 2020 generation.
Jeff St. John. Green Tech Media. February 03, 2020.
