TOPEKA, Kansas — Soaring temperatures across Kansas this week are putting significant pressure on the region’s power grid, prompting Evergy to ask some of its customers to cut back on energy use, especially during peak hours.
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which coordinates the electricity grid across a multi-state region, issued a weather advisory from Tuesday through Thursday. According to SPP spokesperson Meghan Sever, this alert is tied directly to the persistent heat, but she clarified it does not mandate energy conservation from the public. Instead, it serves as a warning that high demand may stress the system.
Kansas summers are no stranger to heat, but the recent surge has drawn particular attention. Kansas City meteorologist Joe Lauria took to Facebook to push back on what he called overuse of the word “extreme” when describing summer conditions. He reminded residents that 90° to 95°F (32° to 35°C) days are normal for this time of year, and that heat indices in the 100° to 105°F (38° to 41°C) range are to be expected.
Still, even “normal” heat puts strain on the grid. On Wednesday, Evergy activated parts of its demand response program, contacting residential and commercial customers who previously agreed to reduce their energy use during high-demand periods.
Courtney Lewis, spokesperson for Evergy, said the program allows businesses to participate by adjusting operations — this could mean raising thermostat settings, switching off non-essential lighting, or even relying on back-up power generators during critical hours.
Washburn University, a major energy user in Topeka, responded to the call by sending a campus-wide message urging faculty and staff to increase building thermostats from 74°F to 80°F (23°C to 27°C) between 2 and 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The university is part of Evergy’s Generation Substitution Service, a special program for large customers in Kansas Central, allowing them to shift to on-site generation when needed.
While customers in the program receive reduced rates for participating, Evergy CEO David Campbell admitted during a Kansas Corporation Commission hearing on Monday that some of the largest clients are not highly motivated to participate — even with financial incentives. “The number of times we need to activate these customers is still low,” Campbell noted, “but the flexibility is critical.”
The seasonal forecast released earlier this summer warned of a 40–60% probability of above-average temperatures throughout the SPP region, according to Meghan Sever. To maintain grid stability, SPP may delay maintenance shutdowns, activate additional generating units, import power from other regions, or draw on reserves depending on the severity of the situation.
The system remains stable — for now — but with hotter days ahead and more stress on infrastructure, Kansas utilities are keeping a close eye on both weather models and power consumption levels.
