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Session of 1999
          House Concurrent Resolution No. 5011           By Representatives Farmer and Barnes, Boston, Compton, Dean, Fla-                 harty, Gilbert, Gregory, Helgerson, Howell, Johnston, Klein, Krehbiel,
                Landwehr, Mayans, McCreary, Myers, Palmer, Pottorff, Powell, Pow-
                ers, Showalter, Shriver, Swenson, Thimesch, Vining, Wagle, Wells and
                Welshimer
                1-25                

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13             A  CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION requesting the State Corporation
14             Commission to examine whether it serves the public interest to have
15             disparities in rates charged in different service areas of Western Re-
16             sources and, if not, to recommend action to eliminate the disparities.
17      
18             WHEREAS,  Western Resources operates as one integrated company
19       but divides its customers into two separate service areas; and
20             WHEREAS,  Western Resources charges more for electric service to
21       customers in the Kansas Gas and Electric (KGE) service area than cus-
22       tomers in the Kansas Power and Light (KPL) service area; and
23             WHEREAS,  The rate disparity requires KGE residential customers to
24       pay 32.6% more, commercial customers, 42.6% more, and industrial cus-
25       tomers, 13.4% more, than Western Resources' customers in the KPL
26       service area; and
27             WHEREAS,  These rate disparities are unfair because the Wolf Creek
28       Nuclear Generating Station, which is blamed for the higher KGE rates,
29       benefits all customers of Western Resources; and
30             WHEREAS,  An acquisition of Kansas City Power and Light (KCPL)
31       by Western Resources might result in similar rate disparities: Now,
32       therefore,
33             Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas,
34       the Senate concurring therein: That the Legislature requests the State
35       Corporation Commission (KCC) to examine whether disparities between
36       the rates charged KGE customers and those charged KPL customers are
37       in the public interest; and
38             Be it further resolved: That the Legislature requests the KCC to re-
39       view whether, if Western Resources acquires KCPL, it would be in the
40       public interest to have similar disparities between rates charged to KPL
41       customers and those charged to customers in the service area of KCPL;
42       and
43             Be it further resolved: That, if the KCC finds that the public interest
44       is not or would not be served by these disparities, the Legislature requests
45       the KCC to recommend action to eliminate the disparities.