If state utilities don’t help with COVID, Gov. Parson and Gov. Kelly should step in

Utilities such as Evergy did the right thing when they stopped disconnecting people from electrical service for overdue accounts at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. However, while that disconnection moratorium ended in July, the public health crisis did not. Now the spread of COVID-19 is exponential and unyielding throughout Kansas and Missouri, while families in each state struggle to pay their bills because of the corresponding economic crisis.

As community transmission rages, monopoly utilities must again do the right thing by reinstating a moratorium on utility disconnections and reconnecting utilities to ensure no family goes without heat, electricity or water until the pandemic is under control. If utility CEOs do not act soon, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson should. This is not just the right thing to do for families and businesses that are suffering through no fault of their own; research published by Duke University found that utility shutoff moratoriums contributed to a reduction in the spread of the virus. This is commonsense policy that will save lives.

We know customers are hurting because monopoly utilities have filed reports with state regulators in Kansas and Missouri detailing the pain. More than 68,000 Evergy customers are on special payment plans to keep the lights on, while another 31,537 residential customers have had their power involuntarily disconnected. Payment plans are helpful and have kept utilities on for many, but these measures are inadequate when confronting the enormity of the public health and economic crisis today.

Keeping utilities connected is absolutely critical for keeping people in their homes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that crowded homes and shelters or people living on the streets can increase the risk of spreading COVID-19. Thankfully, just last month, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and the City Council reversed the decision of KC Water to reinstate water disconnections because they realize people are still struggling as the pandemic is worsening. Monopoly utilities should follow their lead.

There is no relief in sight from the federal government. Additional COVID-19 relief in Congress has proven elusive, and there’s no guarantee anything will pass as lawmakers return from recess. In Jefferson City, the special legislative session to allocate federal coronavirus relief funding was postponed when lawmakers and staff contracted the virus. This unfortunate delay means the release of $1.27 billion intended to help Missourians before Thanksgiving did not happen before the holiday.

Parson, Kelly and utility CEOs have the power to provide immediate relief to people as we enter December. While a vaccine is on the horizon, the pandemic is still raging. We need to support each other in order to survive this unprecedented crisis. If monopoly utilities won’t move on their own, then both governors should step in, issue executive orders and protect our states. Now is the time to act.

This story was originally published December 2, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "If state utilities don’t help with COVID, Gov. Parson and Gov. Kelly should step in."