(KANSAS CITY, Ks.) —The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) Board of Directors approved its 2023 Annual Budget for the municipal electric and water utility at its December 21, 2022 Board meeting. The 2023 budget totaling $389.2 million is approximately $38.5 million more than the 2022 budget of $350.6 million. The increased budget of 11% is mainly the result of higher personnel costs, higher costs for materials and services and increased fuel and purchase power costs.
When looking to 2023, BPU’s major goals and priorities will include the following:
- Provide cost effective, safe and reliable utility services, including efficient operation of electric and water production and distribution facilities within an aging infrastructure. Ensure delivery systems are adaptable to support changes in future supply sources, while operating and maintaining utility assets in a safe, reliable, and cost-efficient manner.
- Update policies and operating procedures as needed to meet the requirements of a broad customer base – while ensuring best-in-class utility service including customer satisfaction, issue response and resolution, etc. Enact initiatives to make information and services readily available and accessible, ensuring the use of benchmarking and surveys in achieving these standards, customer preferences, etc.
- Ensure continued fiscal sustainability by effectively managing debt service coverage, cash-on-hand, and credit ratings through open and transparent fiscal and budget policies. Remain committed to cutting costs and improving efficiencies.
- Meet and comply with all federal and state regulatory requirements, including environmental, safe drinking water, NERC, and all other regulations – working to monitor, evaluate, and address changes as needed. Work and identify ongoing risk management issues and priorities as necessary.
- Remain a champion of renewable energy (i.e., wind, community solar, hydro, etc.) while evaluating future generation mix opportunities to ensure
sustainable energy usage opportunities for the community. Promote the benefit of renewables to customers and the community, including the positive health consequences and the minimization of energy price volatility.
- Focus on ensuring residential customer ease-of-access to the services,
information, and utility programs they want and deserve – while promoting the use of technologies to assist them with utility interactions
- On-going improvements to key account programs by remaining focused on the needs of the utility’s top consumers.
- Promote energy and water efficiency and conservation efforts and initiatives through education, community outreach services, and targeted
communications.
- Utilize innovative technologies, implement utility-wide reliability standards, and maintain a safety-focused workplace that ensures reliable, high-quality utility services.
- Remain focused on corporate reporting including data analytics and operational performance metrics and benchmarking, ensuring BPU is competitive and or exceeding other peer municipal utilities.
- Improve utility recruiting efforts to better employee qualifications and
performance, while simultaneously prioritizing employee training and
development.
- Continue expanding supply chain operations to improve the supplier diversity program through vendor preference for local businesses.
- Champion strategic alliances and partnerships that benefit the utility and the community. Support economic development, business retention and growth, and economic improvement throughout the entire service area.
As it has for more than a century, this nationally recognized and municipally owned BPU remains committed to providing safe, reliable and affordable electric and water services to Wyandotte County – while working to improve the quality of life in the community in which it operates.