Energy policy in Kansas, 2015-2017

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Fracking in the U.S.
Energy policy in the U.S.
State fracking policy
State energy policy
Glossary of energy terms

Energy policy involves governmental actions affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of energy in a state. Energy policies are enacted and enforced at the local, state, and federal levels and may change over time. These policies include legislation, regulation, taxes, incentives for energy production or use, standards for energy efficiency, and more. Stakeholders include citizens, politicians, environmental groups, industry groups, and think tanks. A variety of factors can affect the feasibility of federal and state-level energy policies, such as available natural resources, geography, and consumer needs.

This article outlines state-level oil and gas regulations, renewable energy programs, oil and gas production, energy usage, energy and electricity prices, fuel taxes, and utilities in Kansas.

See the tabs below for further information:

1. Policy: This tab provides information about state regulations on energy production and policies related to oil and gas production, fracking, renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and net metering.
2. Production: This tab provides information about total energy production by energy source in Kansas.
3. Usage: This tab presents information about electricity consumption by energy source.
4. Prices and taxes: This tab presents information about average energy and electricity prices, per capita spending on energy, and fuel taxes.
5. Utilities: This tab presents information about public and private utilities, electricity markets, the types of utilities in Kansas, and the electric reliability organizations in Kansas.
6. Background: This tab provides information about the types of nonrenewable and renewable energy sources produced and used in the United States, an energy profile of Kansas, a state profile of Kansas from the Almanac of American Politics (2016), and economic indicators in the state, such as median income.

Policy

State regulations

The Kansas Oil and Gas Conservation Division has regulatory authority over oil and natural gas operations in the state. State rules and regulations cover the drilling of all wells used for oil or gas exploration, the spacing of wells, permitting requirements for oil and gas operators, injection wells used to enhance oil and gas recovery or to dispose of wastewater, the cementing and plugging of wells, the underground storage of natural gas, the prevention of well blowout and leaks, well restoration, reporting requirements, and more. All Kansas rules and regulations related to oil and gas operations are found in the Agency 82 section of the Kansas Administrative Regulations.

Fracking

See also: Fracking in Kansas

The Oil and Gas Conservation Division is responsible for regulating hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) in Kansas. The division enforces regulations for the reporting and disclosure of the types of fluids used in fracking and at what volume, a description of each chemical additive used in fracking, the maximum amount of surface and injecting pressure used during the process, well safety, and other information considered necessary by the division for the regulation of fracking. More detailed information on oil and gas rules and regulations can be found in Section 82-3-1400 of the Kansas Administrative Regulations.

Renewable energy policies

States have implemented funding and financial incentive programs to subsidize or otherwise increase investment in renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. These programs include renewable portfolio standards, grants, rebate programs, tax incentives, loans, performance-based incentives, and more. The aim of the policies generally involves reducing the cost of renewable energy production for consumers, reducing regulatory compliance costs, reducing investment risks involving renewable energy, and/or increasing the adoption of renewable energy sources by individuals and businesses.

Renewable Portfolio Standard

See also: Renewable Portfolio Standard

A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), also known as a renewable electricity standard, is a mandate intended to increase the amount of renewable energy production and use. Under these standards, a utility company can be required by a state to have a certain percentage of its electricity come from certain renewable energy resources. In addition, states may give tax credits to utility companies to fulfill these requirements.

As of February 2017, Kansas was one of 20 states that did not have a Renewable Portfolio Standard, which was repealed by the Kansas State Legislature in 2015 and replaced with a voluntary standard. Previously, the state's RPS would have required electric utilities to generate at least 20 percent of their electricity from eligible renewable sources by the year 2020.

Grant programs

States, nonprofit organizations, and/or private utilities may operate grant programs for renewable energy. These programs may include state or private funding for energy installation costs, research and development, infrastructure and business development, system testing, and renewable energy feasibility studies (studies that look into the potential for renewable energy use in specific areas). Grants can be provided with or without requiring a recipient to match the grant. Additional incentives, such as lower interest loans, may be included with a grant.

As of March 2015, Kansas was one of 26 states that did not have state-run, utility-run, or locally run grant programs for renewable energy. See the map below for grant programs by state.

States with grant programs for renewable energy as of March 2015 (Source: Environmental Protection Agency)

Loan programs

Loan programs may be used to offer lower interest loans or other financing options to individuals and businesses to reduce the upfront costs of purchasing and installing renewable energy technologies. Loan programs may include programs that use payments from earlier borrowers to provide loans for new borrowers, programs in which building owners reduce their energy consumption to pay their upfront costs for renewable energy technologies, and programs that allow individuals with a higher debt-to-income ratio to purchase homes that use less energy, among others.

As of March 2015, Kansas was one of four states without state-run, locally run, utility-run, or privately run loan programs for renewable energy technologies.

A complete list of state, local, and private incentive, loan, grant, and assistance programs for renewable energy and energy efficiency in Kansas can be found here.

See the map below for renewable energy loan programs by state.

States with loan programs for renewable energy as of March 2015 (Source: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Energy efficiency regulations

As of February 2017, Kansas did not require new residential buildings to meet energy efficiency standards but required new commercial buildings to meet such standards. All new commercial buildings must meet heating, ventilating, air conditioning, water heating, and lighting standards found in the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code, which can be found here. Local government agencies are responsible for enforcing these codes.

Net metering

Net metering is a billing system in which customers who generate their own electricity, usually using renewable sources (such as solar panels) are able to sell their excess electricity back to the electric grid, which is an interconnected network that is used to deliver electricity. This requires electricity to be able to flow both to and from a consumer.

As of October 2016, Kansas was one of 41 states with a statewide net metering policy. Kansas enacted a net metering policy in May 2009 for customers of investor-owned utilities. Renewable energy sources eligible for net metering include solar energy, wind energy, methane, biomass, hydroelectric power, and fuel cells that use hydrogen from any of the above sources. Investor-owned utilities in Kansas are required to offer net metering on a first-come, first-serve basis until the generating capacity of all systems with net metering equals 1 percent of a utility's peak demand from the previous year. Systems eligible for net metering after July 2014 must have a maximum capacity of 15 kilowatts (kW) or less for residential consumers; 100 kW or less for non-residential consumers; and 150 kW for post-secondary colleges or universities and K-12 public or private schools.

For a complete list of net metering programs by state, click here.

Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent energy policy bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Kansas State Legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Ballot measures

Energy policy ballot measures

See also: Energy on the ballot and List of Kansas ballot measures

Ballotpedia has not covered any ballot measures relating to state and local energy policy in Kansas.

Utility policy ballot measures

See also: Local utility tax and fees on the ballot

Ballotpedia has not covered any ballot measures relating to local utility tax and fees in Kansas.

Production

The sections below include statistics on total energy production in Kansas, oil and natural gas production in Kansas, oil and gas production in Kansas over time (2004-2014), and oil and gas production on federal land, including the amount of federal land leased in Kansas for production.

Total energy production

The table below provides information regarding energy production in Kansas in British thermal units (Btu). A British thermal unit is used to measure the heat contained in different fuels. The U.S. Department of Energy defines a Btu as "the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit." Fuels are discussed in terms of Btu to compare fuels with different energy content and prices. For example, one gallon of gasoline equals 120,524 Btu.

Energy production, 2014 (in billion Btu)
State	Biomass	Coal	Crude oil	Nuclear energy	Natural gas	Renewable	Total*
Kansas	72,366	1,474	287,158	89,512	317,377	185,129	953,016
Missouri	36,492	8,206	1,137	97,021	9	93,213	236,078
Nebraska	235,095		17,690	105,655	418	277,937	636,795
Oklahoma		20,607	736,873		2,659,412	155,938	3,572,830
U.S. average	38,759	404,181	307,301	160,980	585,731	187,132	1,684,085
*Total figures were computed by Ballotpedia. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Nonrenewable energy production

The table below provides information regarding nonrenewable energy production in Kansas. For coal data, the phrase productive capacity refers to the maximum amount of coal that could be expected to be produced in 2014. The natural gas and crude oil production data refer to the amounts of natural gas and crude oil produced in December 2014 and April 2016, respectively.

Nonrenewable energy production
State	Coal, productive capacity (short tons)	Natural gas (million cubic feet)	Crude oil (thousand barrels)
Date	2014	December 2014	April 2016
Kansas	64,573	22,380	3,104
Missouri	377,838	1	11
Nebraska	0	34	168
Oklahoma	1,200,000	186,660	12,810
U.S. average	24,874,314	43,350	4,388
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Oil and gas production (2004-2014)

Note: This section provides information about oil and gas production on private and state-owned lands. Information on oil and gas production on federal lands is accessible here.

The graph and table below provide information about crude oil production in Kansas. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparative purposes.

Crude oil production in Kansas and select surrounding states, in thousand barrels
State	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	Percent of total 2014 production	2014 Rank
Kansas	33,879	33,620	35,668	36,590	39,663	39,466	40,468	41,507	43,743	46,845	49,522	1.56%	10
Missouri	88	86	87	80	99	106	146	118	175	199	197	0.01%	29
Nebraska	2,506	2,408	2,313	2,335	2,394	2,239	2,331	2,542	3,025	2,808	3,038	0.1%	22
Oklahoma	63,977	61,262	64,236	63,951	67,357	66,637	68,909	76,433	92,988	113,610	124,253	3.91%	5
United States	1,991,394	1,891,227	1,857,044	1,853,166	1,830,002	1,952,670	2,000,861	2,060,398	2,377,806	2,722,171	3,180,813	--	--
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Crude Oil Production" Note: The data above are field production data.

The graph and table below provide information about natural gas production in Kansas. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparative purposes.

Natural gas production in Kansas and select surrounding states, in million cubic feet (MMCF)
State	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	Percent of total 2013 production	2013 rank
Kansas	420,027	398,197	378,250	372,029	366,859	375,314	355,394	325,591	309,952	296,299	292,467	0.97%	14
Missouri	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0%	N/A
Nebraska	1,466	1,499	1,201	1,217	1,560	3,083	2,916	2,255	1,980	1,328	1,032	0.0%	28
Oklahoma	1,558,155	1,655,769	1,639,310	1,688,985	1,783,682	1,886,710	1,901,556	1,827,328	1,888,870	2,023,461	2,143,999	7.15%	5
United States	24,118,978	23,969,678	23,456,822	23,535,018	24,663,656	25,636,257	26,056,893	26,816,085	28,479,026	29,542,313	30,005,254	--	--
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production" The data presented above are gross withdrawals in million cubic feet (MMCF). Production data for 2014 were estimated for some, but not all, states; "--" indicates data were not available.

Oil and gas production on federal land

See also: Oil and natural gas extraction on federal land

The federal government leases federally managed land to private individuals and companies for energy development, including crude oil and natural gas drilling, solar energy development, and geothermal energy development. Approximately 166 million acres of federal land were available to be leased for energy development as of December 2014. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for regulating oil and gas drilling on federal lands in the United States.

The table below provides information about oil and natural gas production on federal lands in Kansas in 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Oil and natural gas production on federal land, 2014
State	Oil production (in thousands of barrels)	Natural gas production (in million cubic feet)
Kansas	190	4,038
Missouri	0	0
Nebraska	26	1
Oklahoma	343	12,504
U.S. average	2,976.06	49,996.92
Source: Office of Natural Resource Revenue, "Statistical Information"

Land leased

Private oil and natural gas companies apply for leases from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop energy resources on federal lands. After a lease is approved, the company must submit information to the BLM about how it will conduct its drilling and production operations. The BLM also inspects a company’s operations during production.

The table below provides information about oil and gas producing leases and acres on federal lands in Kansas from 2013 to 2015. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Oil and gas producing leases and acres on federal land by state, 2013-2015
State	FY 2015		FY 2014		FY 2013
	Producing leases	Producing acres	Producing leases	Producing acres	Producing leases	Producing acres
Kansas	437	109,392	438	109,552	439	109,432
Missouri	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nebraska	19	8,825	19	8,825	19	8,825
Oklahoma	957	147,341	938	141,496	912	134,511
U.S. average	485	257,505	483	258,996	480	262,870
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, "Oil and Gas Statistics"

Energy usage

The section below includes statistics on electricity consumption in the state by energy type (in 2014).

Consumption

The table below provides information about energy consumption by source in Kansas in 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Energy consumption in Kansas, 2014 (in billion Btu)
State	Coal	Crude oil and petroleum products	Natural gas	Nuclear energy	Solar	Wind	Geothermal	Hydropower	Wood and wood waste	Biomass
Kansas	316,572	368,066	289,697	89,512	67	103,135	974	154	8,433	45,862
Missouri	780,707	635,718	301,360	97,021	1,819	10,757	352	6,632	37,161	74,839
Nebraska	276,544	242,555	179,544	105,655	60	26,028	1,212	11,010	4,531	102,397
Oklahoma	336,080	556,153	665,799	0	62	113,519	24	13,585	28,748	42,870
U.S. average	359,931	716,746	544,353	172,585	20,739	531,323	16,555	61,397	65,345	101,581
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Prices and taxes

The sections below include information on energy prices and spending in Kansas, fuel taxes and state taxes in Kansas and in neighboring states, and an overview of the federal tax on gasoline.

Energy prices

The price of electricity is affected by supply and demand. The supply of electricity is affected by fuel prices, environmental and energy regulations, power plant capacity, weather, and other factors. Demand for electricity also affects the price. Because electricity cannot be stored for long periods of time, it must be produced and used when it is needed. As demand for electricity increases, the price also generally increases.

The table below provides information about energy prices in Kansas as of April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Note: In comparing dollar amounts across the states, it is important to note that the cost of living can from state to state and within a state. The amounts given on this page have not been adjusted to reflect these differences. For more information on "regional price disparities" and the Consumer Price Index, see the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Energy prices in Kansas
State	Natural gas Dollars per thousand cubic foot	Electricity Cents per kilowatthour
Date	April 2016	April 2016
Kansas	$11.41	10.2
Missouri	$11.31	8.7
Nebraska	$7.91	8.8
Oklahoma	$10.97	7.3
U.S. average	$11.20	10.41
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Electricity prices can vary depending on the type of consumer; consumer categories include residential, commercial, industrial, and in some cases, transportation. The rate-making process is both political and economic. The table below presents information about electricity prices by consumer type in Kansas in April 2016. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Electricity prices in Kansas by sector (in cents per kilowatthour)
State	Commercial	Industrial	Residential	Transportation	Average (all sectors)
Date	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016	April 2016
Kansas	10.3	7.4	13.5	10.3	10.4
Missouri	8.2	6.2	10.4	8.2	8.3
Nebraska	8.7	7.4	10.7	8.7	8.8
Oklahoma	6.9	4.4	10.9	6.9	7.3
U.S. average	10.48	7.45	13.05	10.47	10.36
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Energy spending

The table below provides information about energy spending in Kansas as of 2014. Information from select surrounding states is provided for comparison.

Energy spending in Kansas, 2014 (in millions of dollar except per capita spending)
State	Petroleum	Coal	Natural gas	Nuclear	Per capita spending
Kansas	$8,945	$569	$1,755	$58	$5,046
Missouri	$16,449	$1,578	$2,632	$85	$4,406
Nebraska	$6,517	$396	$1,125	$81	$5,486
Oklahoma	$13,053	$680	$3,454	$0	$5,283
U.S. average	$17,267	$1,322	$3,786	$574	$5,304
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Google Sheets API"

Fuel taxes

Click to enlarge.

Revenue collected by federal, state, and local governments from fuel taxes is usually used to fund transportation infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Some states may charge an excise tax based on how much gas or diesel is purchased. Some states may charge retail tax based on the average price of gas over a certain period. Additionally, some states may charge an environmental tax to be used for environmental projects. The Tax Foundation, which created the map to the right, used data from the American Petroleum Institute, which converted each state's different tax structure into cents per gallon to compare each state's gas taxes. In 2016, gas taxes accounted for 23 percent of the price of gasoline. Crude oil accounted for 40 percent of the price of gasoline, refining accounted for 24 percent of the price, and distribution and marketing accounted for 13 percent of the remainder.

The table below provides information about state fuel taxes by type (excluding the federal gas taxes) in Kansas as of January 2016. As of January 2016, Kansas levied a 24 cent state gasoline tax and a 26 cent state diesel tax. Kansas ranked 31st highest in total gasoline taxes (federal and state) and 31st highest in total diesel fuel taxes as of January 2016.

State motor fuel taxes in cents per gallon, January 2016
State	State gasoline tax	Total gasoline tax	Rank	State diesel tax	Total diesel tax	Rank
Kansas	24.0	42.4	31	26.0	50.4	31
Missouri	17.3	35.7	46	17.3	41.7	47
Nebraska	27.7	46.1	28	27.1	51.5	28
Oklahoma	17.0	35.4	47	14.0	38.4	49
U.S. average	30.29	48.69	N/A	30.01	54.41	N/A
Source: American Petroleum Institute, "Motor Fuel Taxes"

Federal tax

The first federal tax on gasoline was proposed by Secretary of the Treasury Ogden L. Mills under President Herbert Hoover (R) as a revenue generating measure to balance the budget during the Great Depression. A 1-cent tax per gallon of imported gasoline and fuel oil was passed as part of the Revenue Act of 1932 and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D). The 1-cent tax continued until 1951 when the tax was increased to 2 cents in part to raise revenue during the Korean War. In 1956, the tax was raised to 3 cents to fund the Interstate Highway System. During this time, the Highway Trust Fund was created as a means to fund highway construction. Since 1956, there have been increases to the tax. As of April 2016, the gas tax was last raised by President Bill Clinton (D) in 1993 to 18.4 cents per gallon.

Utilities

The sections below include general information on utilities, an overview of utilities and electricity markets, information on the types of utilities in Kansas, an overview of electricity reliability organizations (EROs), and the EROs that oversee electricity in Kansas.

Background

Utilities are firms that own and/or operate facilities to generate, transmit, and/or distribute electricity, gas, and/or water to the public. Electric utilities are commercial entities that own and operate facilities to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to the public and/or the industrial sector. State and local regulators oversee transmission and distribution charges. Local utilities read electric meters and bill individuals or businesses, generally on a monthly basis.

Utilities are defined differently in each state and in federal legislation. Two general types of utilities are private and public utilities. Private utilities, commonly known as investor-owned utilities, provide stocks to investors and sell bonds. These utilities are regulated by state regulatory agencies. State agencies are also responsible for setting retail rates charged by investor-owned utilities, overseeing utility infrastructure, and ensuring that investor-owned utilities respond to customer service demands. Public utilities include government or municipally owned utilities. Another type of utility is an electric cooperative. Cooperatives are nonprofit businesses voluntarily owned and managed by the individuals and businesses that use their services. They are commonly used in rural areas that do not have access to a larger state or region-wide electric grid.

Electricity markets

Electricity markets in each state are defined as regulated or deregulated. A regulated market includes utilities that own and manage the power plants that generate the electricity, the electricity transmission lines, and the distribution equipment (such as wires and electric poles). In addition, the utilities rates are approved and regulated by local and state agencies. A deregulated market requires utilities to divest ownership in the generation and transmission of electricity. In this market, utilities oversee the interconnection from a meter at a household or business to the power grid and is responsible for billing ratepayers.

Depending on the state and/or area, public utilities may provide most or all energy services to homes and businesses, or a state may allow other private electricity providers to transmit and distribute electricity in addition to other utilities. For example, one type of private provider is a retail energy provider, which sells electricity in areas with retail competition. The provider purchases wholesale electricity and the delivery services (such as transmission lines) and can price electricity to particular consumers.

As of February 2017, Kansas was one of 40 states with a regulated electricity market. The Utilities Division of the Kansas Corporation Commission is responsible for regulating and setting rates for the state's four investor-owned utilities: Empire District Electric Company, Kansas City Power & Light, Southern Pioneer, and Westar Energy.

Electric reliability organizations

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to designate an electric reliability organization (ERO) for the United States. An ERO oversees the reliability of a nation's electric grid. In 2006, FERC granted authority to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop and enforce grid reliability standards for the United States. NERC, a self-regulated nonprofit corporation, is authorized to enforce grid reliability standards for all users, owners, and operators of the U.S. electrical system.

NERC works with eight regional reliability organizations to oversee the U.S. electrical system. These organizations, known as regional entities, are composed of officials from investor-owned utilities, federal power agencies, electric cooperatives, and state and municipal utilities. Regional entities enforce NERC and regional reliability standards. Further, they forecast electricity demand and coordinate operations with other regional entities.

Kansas EROs

As of February 2017, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) was the NERC-affiliated corporation that oversees electricity in Kansas. The SPP conducts studies and assessments of the electricity grid, conducts long-term planning, and develops regional standards for electricity reliability.

Background

The sections below include an overview of the types of renewable and nonrenewable energy produced and consumed in the United States, an energy profile of Kansas (from the U.S. Energy Information Administration), a general profile of Kansas (from the 2016 edition of the Almanac of American Politics), and various economic indicators in Kansas.

Background on energy resources

Nonrenewable energy sources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas (sometimes known as fossil fuels), and renewable sources, such as hydropower, wind, biofuels, and solar energy, are produced in each state, though at different levels depending on a state's geography, energy consumption, and the raw materials available in a particular state. For example, several states do not have coal, oil, and/or natural gas resources. States that lack these resources import these fuels.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, oil, coal, and natural gas comprise the majority of the resources used to generate power in the United States. In 2014, the top five energy-producing states were the top five fossil fuel-producing states—Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and West Virginia. These states' fossil fuel production accounted for approximately 42 percent of U.S. energy production in 2014. States with fewer coal, oil, and natural gas resources generally consume less energy. In 2014, the bottom five energy-producing states—Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Hampshire—produced 0.2 percent of U.S. energy and consumed approximately 2 percent of total U.S. energy.

The production of biofuels (liquid fuels created from plant or plant-derived materials) is generally concentrated in the Midwest—states such as Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota) given the region's agricultural production of crops such as corn, which is used to make ethanol, a biofuel that can be blended with gasoline and used as a transportation fuel.

Other renewable sources are used to generate power in the states include hydroelectric power, which accounted for about half of all renewable energy production in the United States in 2014.

Kansas energy profile

As of 2015, the industrial sector in Kansas consumed approximately 33 percent of the total energy consumed in the state followed by the transportation sector at around 25 percent.

From 2010 to 2015, Kansas held approximately 1 percent of proved crude oil reserves in the United States and represented approximately 1.5 percent of total U.S. production. Pipelines delivered oil to the state's three refineries. As of January 2016, Kansas refineries produced approximately 340,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

As of 2015, Kansas' total natural gas reserves accounted for around 1 percent of total reserves in the United States and around 1 percent of total U.S. production. The state had 13 interstate natural gas pipelines as of January 2016. These pipelines enter Kansas through Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Colorado and deliver natural gas to Missouri and Nebraska.

As of 2015, coal was the largest source of electricity generation in Kansas. The state had six coal-fired power plants at the end of 2015. Coal reserves in Kansas in 2015 accounted for less than 1 percent of total U.S. coal reserves. The state receives coal by railroad primarily from Wyoming, with smaller coal shipments from Missouri and Oklahoma.

In 2015, nearly all of the net electricity generation from renewable energy sources in Kansas came from wind energy. Kansas ranked in the top five states in wind-generated electricity and in wind energy potential. In addition, Kansas received electricity from solar energy and hydroelectric power facilities.

State profile

Demographic data for Kansas
	Kansas	U.S.
Total population:	2,906,721	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	81,759	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	85.2%	73.6%
Black/African American:	5.8%	12.6%
Asian:	2.6%	5.1%
Native American:	0.8%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	3.3%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	11.2%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	90.2%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	31%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$52,205	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	15%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Kansas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Kansas

Kansas voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

More Kansas coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Kansas
• United States congressional delegations from Kansas
• Public policy in Kansas
• Endorsers in Kansas
• Kansas fact checks
• More...

Economic indicators

See also: Economic indicators by state

Kansas' GDP increased by 1.8 percent in 2014. Click the image to view a larger version.

Broadly defined, a healthy economy is typically one that has a "stable and strong rate of economic growth" (gross state product, in this case) and low unemployment, among many other factors. The economic health of a state can significantly affect its healthcare costs, insurance coverage, access to care, and citizens' physical and mental health. For instance, during economic downturns, employers may reduce insurance coverage for employees, while those who are laid off may lose coverage altogether. Individuals also tend to spend less on non-urgent care or postpone visits to the doctor when times are hard. These changes in turn may affect the decisions made by policymakers as they react to shifts in the industry. Additionally, a person's socioeconomic status has profound effects on their access to care and the quality of care received.

Equal percentages of Kansas' population earned incomes that were between 200 and 399 percent above the federal poverty level (FPL), and at least 400 percent above the FPL. Between 2011 and 2013, the state's median annual household income was $49,804. In September 2014, the state's unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, significantly lower than the national unemployment rate.

Note: Gross state product (GSP) on its own is not necessarily an indicator of economic health; GSP may also be influenced by state population size. Many factors must be looked at together to assess state economic health.

Various economic indicators by state
State	Distribution of population by FPL* (2013)				Median annual income (2011-2013)	Unemployment rate		Total GSP (2013)†
	Under 100%	100-199%	200-399%	400%+		Sept. 2013	Sept. 2014
Kansas	13%	18%	34%	34%	$49,804	5.3%	4.8%	$144,062
Missouri	14%	17%	32%	38%	$49,290	6.4%	6.3%	$276,345
Nebraska	11%	17%	36%	36%	$55,107	3.9%	3.6%	$109,614
Oklahoma	14%	24%	31%	31%	$47,282	5.6%	4.7%	$182,086
United States	15%	19%	30%	36%	$52,047	7.2%	5.9%	$16,701,415
* Federal Poverty Level. "The U.S. Census Bureau's poverty threshold for a family with two adults and one child was $18,751 in 2013. This is the official measurement of poverty used by the Federal Government." † Median annual household income, 2011-2013. ‡ In millions of current dollars. "Gross State Product is a measurement of a state's output; it is the sum of value added from all industries in the state." Source: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, "State Health Facts"

See also

• Energy policy in the U.S.
• Fracking in Kansas
• Net metering
• Renewable Portfolio Standard
• Environmental policy in Kansas

Recent news

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Energy policy in Kansas, 2015-2017 - Google News