Archive for category: General Information

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity is to provide guidance to eligible entities (electric grid operators, electricity storage operators, electricity generators, transmission owners or operators, distribution provider and fuel suppliers or other entities determined by the DOE) for preparation of subgrant applications to be submitted to the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) in response to Section 40101(d) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

Under this Program, the Department of Energy (DOE) provides grants to States to improve the resilience of their electric grid against disruptive events.  A disruptive event, as defined by the Program, is “an event in which operations of the electric grid are disrupted, preventively shut off, or cannot operate safely due to extreme weather, wildfire, or a natural disaster.”

The primary goals of the Program are to demonstrate measurable improvements in energy resilience, with a focus to necessary and supporting grid modernization investments in rural, underserved and disadvantaged communities, to invest in modernized grid infrastructure and to create good-paying jobs.

The KCC’s allocation for this second round of funding from the DOE totals $6,489,249.

Click HERE to learn more…

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly recently announced that public power communities in the state will receive funding for energy grid resilience.

The overall more than $17 million investment, which will also provide funding to electric cooperatives, combines nearly $12 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s 40101(d) Grid Resilience Grant Program and more than $5.8 million in matching funds from the Kansas Infrastructure Hub and Build Kansas Fund.

The public power community projects receiving grid resiliency funding are:

City of Garden City – Underground Conductor and Transformer Replacement

• • Build Kansas Funding – $302,590
  • Federal Funding Awarded – $626,048
  • Total Project – $928,638

City of Pratt – Substation Hardening

• • Build Kansas Funding – $1,034,551
  • Federal Funding Awarded – $2,140,449
  • Total Project – $3,175,000

• • Federal Funding Awarded – $414,627
  • Total Project – $615,030

Holton Electric – Transformer and Feeder Circuit Improvements

• • Build Kansas Funding – $796,360
  • Federal Funding Awarded – $1,647,640
  • Total Project – $2,444,000

Click HERE to read more…

This award was established in honor of Max Embree, of Colby Kansas who played a leading role in the early years of KMEA.  The award honors his memory and is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and devoted service to both KMEA and Public Power.

This year’s recipient of the Max Embree Distinguished Service Award was Jon Quinday, the City Manager for the City of Russell. Jon has served in many positions within his community, starting as a police officer and over the years working his way up to city manager. For 12 years, he managed a full-service municipality with over 90 employees and an annual budget exceeding $30 million, and encompassing electric, water, wastewater, sewer, and sanitation utilities, along with county-wide 911 communications. Through all his various roles including former school board president and board member for both Kansas Municipal Utilities and Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, and President of the KMEA Executive Committee, he’s gained firsthand insight into the complexities of municipal governance.

In 2024, Public Natural Gas Week is celebrated from October 6-12. This nationwide event organized by the American Public Gas Association (APGA) aims to generate enthusiasm and awareness about the advantages of public natural gas systems. These systems are locally owned and operated, ensuring that the benefits of natural gas such as affordability, reliability, and efficiency are directly passed on to the community.

We wanted to use this annual observance as an opportunity to highlight the numerous benefits of public natural gas systems and to recognize the hard work of the local utilities that provide this essential service.

Happy Public Natural Gas Week!

Today, the KMEA office in Overland Park hosted the annual gathering of the KMEA Executive Committee, the KMGA Executive Committee, and the Joint Board for Administration. The KMGA Executive Committee, led by President Gus Collins from the City of Winfield, consists of 7 dedicated members. The KMEA Executive Committee, with 9 members, is currently presided over by Jon Quinday.

We at KMEA and KMGA extend our gratitude to all Executive Committee members for their dedication and commitment to the municipal world. Your efforts are truly appreciated!