U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) recently sponsored legislation that would establish the Southwestern Power Administration Fund to federally support the electricity-related needs of states in that territory, which includes Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
“It is critical that Kansans have access to reliable electricity at stable rates, especially during extreme and dangerous weather,” Sen. Moran said on March 21. “This legislation will provide funding stability that will allow energy providers to make needed infrastructure improvements and prevent Kansans from suffering mass power outages.”
Sen. Moran on March 13 introduced the Southwestern Power Administration (SWPA) Fund Establishment Act, S. 1034, to give SWPA the authority to operate on a self-funding, revolving U.S. Treasury fund to help provide it with a long-term, reliable financing source.
In turn, this would give SWPA more stable funding in order to lower customer rates, which can be highly volatile due to market demand and weather, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Moran’s staff.
Additionally, S. 1034 would provide SWPA more clarity to help plan long-term infrastructure improvements and power replacement, and would allow SWPA to avoid spikes in power rates charged to its wholesale customers in an extreme or multi-year regional drought situation, the summary says.
Kansas Electric Cooperatives Inc., the Southwestern Power Resources Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and the American Public Power Association support the proposed bill.