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City of Erie

Founded 1869
Population 1,121

Erie, Kansas is a city in and the county seat of Neosho County, Kansas, and situated in the valley of the Neosho River, about a mile northeast of the river.  Erie has been a member of the Kansas Power Pool since 2006.  Erie is famous for its annual Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion held during the second full week of July, including the annual Free Bean Feed. This reunion has been conducted continuously since 1873 and is claimed to be the oldest consecutively running Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion in the country. 

Salt pork and navy beans were a staple food for soldiers in the Civil War. So, it was natural to serve kettles of beans during these reunions. Soon it became a tradition. Now over 1,400 pounds of beans are cooked in more than 50 iron kettles on the Courthouse lawn by the American Legion Post. Other events include the Rodeo held on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings during Reunion Week. The Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion culminates on Friday night when Mainstreet Memories provides a free country western concert featuring various artists.

City Clerk

City Superintendent

Electric Generation Equipment

City Superintendent:  Jake Tromsness
Power Plant Phone:  620-244-3488

Municipal Utilities

City of Ellinwood

Founded 1871
Population 2,131

Ellinwood, Kansas is a community of 2,100 and located in the center of Kansas, it provides a warm, small town environment with many features and services of much larger communities.   The City became a member of the Kansas Power Pool in 2007.  The municipality has its own power and sewage plants, several water wells, recycling trailer, and compost area.

The first claim was staked in 1872 when it was certain the railroad would be completed nearby. The railroad was finished the same year and the City was named after Colonel John Ellinwood, a civil engineer working for the Santa Fe Railroad. Ellinwood became a fast-growing community of mostly descendants of southern German/Austrians. Located on the Santa Fe Trail, the town was a social and cultural center of the 1890’s.

City Administrator

City Clerk

Electric Distribution Superintendent

Electric Production Superintendent

Electric Generation Equipment

Electric Distribution Superintendent:  Chris Komarek
Electric Production Superintendent:  Jarrod Carr
Power Plant Phone:  620-564-2211

Municipal Utilities

Clay Center Public Utilities

City of Clay Center

Population 4,334

The Clay Center Board of Public Utilities Commission in Clay Center, Kansas consists of a three-man board approved by the Clay Center City Council. In November 2004, the Public Utilities Commission voted to become members of the Kansas Power Pool. Clay Center is one of the founding members of the Power Pool, which was originally created to allow multiple Kansas energy providers to pool their resources to produce and purchase electricity more cost-effectively.

During the Depression era of the 1930’s, many Clay Center, Kansas residents found it impossible to pay their water and light bills. The Public Utilities Commission decided rather than disconnecting those customers who could not pay their bills, the Commission would give the customers the opportunity to work off their bills at the proposed park site. The beautiful natural stone walls along 4th Street is among the many highlights of the Utility Park. These stone walls were constructed entirely by the workers and still stand today. The Park officially opened in 1933 with an ice cream social and band concert. In 1934, the City Beautiful Committee entered Utility Park in a national contest sponsored by Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. Utility Park won, “The More Beautiful America Award,” and a plaque stands in the park to commemorate the award. A fountain was installed in 1936. In 1960 acreage was added for picnic areas. In 1963 “Kiddie Corral” with playground equipment was added. The Gazebo was designed and built by the Power Plant employees in 1980. More acreage was later added to the west of the Zoo to serve as walking paths.

Utility Park is supported and operated entirely by the Public Utilities Commission as a gift to the citizens of Clay Center. No taxpayer dollars or mill levies are spent on Utility Park.

Superintendent of Utilities

Electric Production Superintendent

Metering Superintendent

Electric Distribution Superintendent

Electric Generation Equipment

Power Plant Superintendent:  Chris Mellies
Power Plant Phone:  785-632-2171

Municipal Utilities

City of Burlington

Founded 1857
Population 2,790

The City of Burlington, Kansas is a progressive county seat town of approximately 2,800 people and it is growing. Burlington is large enough to offer a variety of activities and services, yet small enough to provide opportunities for person-to-person involvement. You can find all the modern improvements and conveniences found in most larger cities.

The National Arbor Day Foundation has named Burlington as a “Tree City USA” again this year. The City of Burlington has now been honored with the status of “Tree City USA” for over a decade. Burlington has also been named as a “Growth Award” recipient. The Burlington Tree Board and community officials believe trees make a world of difference in their community.

Burlington became a member of the Kansas Power Pool when it was established. Mayor Rick Raymer signed a letter of intent on January 21, 2004 to participate in the Kansas Power Pool, then on February 2, 2005 the Governing Body signed a resolution authorizing the City of Burlington to participate in the Kansas Power Pool.

City Clerk

Electric Superintendent

Electric Generation Equipment

Electric Superintendent:  Alan Schneider
Power Plant Phone:  620-364-5514
Shop Phone: 620-364-5575

Municipal Utilities

City of Augusta

Founded 1868
Population 9,274

Incorporated in 1871, the City of Augusta, Kansas is a full-service city with a population of 8,600 people. Augusta is a city of the 2nd Class and has adopted the Mayor/Council/Manager form of government. In this form of government, the City Manager administers the day-to-day affairs of the City under the direction of the Mayor and Council who set the policy for the City.

The City of Augusta’s electric system was established in 1913. Power Plant I was built in 1929 and expanded through the years with the addition of generators in 1939, 1949, 1951, 1956, and 1964 for a total capacity of 9,731 kilowatts. In 1968, the City built a new plant and installed two new 4,000-kilowatt generators. In 1981, the City added a new 6,000-kilowatt generator. In 2004, a 6,620-kilowatt generator was added, giving the City a combined total of 30,351 kilowatts of generation capacity. The City is interconnected with the transmission power grid by a 69,000-volt line, stepping it down to a distribution voltage of 12,470 volts. The capacity of the City’s interconnecting transmission tie is 28,000 kilowatts. The electric department services 510 commercial and nearly 3,800 residential customers. Augusta has been a member of the Kansas Power Pool since 2005.

City Manager

City Clerk

Public Works Director

Power Plant Supervisor

Electric Generation Equipment

Public Works Director:  Tim Johnson
Power Plant Supervisor:  Jim Sutton
Power Plant Phone:  316-775-4527

Municipal Utilities

City of Attica

Founded 1884
Population 620

The City of Attica, Kansas is a vibrant community with a thriving local economy on the southern edge of Kansas. Attica became a member of the Kansas Power Pool in February 2006. With a rich history and progressive planning to prepare for tomorrow, Attica is the ideal place to live, work, play, and visit. Attica is located near the central southern border of the state in Harper County and is about 17 miles from the Oklahoma state line. In June of 1884, the land for Attica was purchased from the Osage Land Trust, which also held the surrounding farmland. The Osage Land Trust was held by the US government for the Osage tribe. Settlers could buy tracts of 160 acres for $1.25 / acre, and the money would go to the tribe. On February 16, 1885, Attica became incorporated as a City of the 3rd class by the District Court with a population of 1,500. The name Attica was originally given to a Post Office that was located southeast of present Attica on a farm. When the new town of Attica was started, it was agreed the Post Office of Attica be moved to the new town site and the town be called Attica.

City Superintendent

City Clerk

Municipal Utilities

City of Winfield

Founded 1873
Population 12,301

The City of Winfield, Kansas, incorporated in 1873, has a population of 12,274 and has an incorporated area of 12.35 square miles. Winfield is located in south central Kansas, less than an hour away from Wichita, and two hours from Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Winfield serves as the county seat for Cowley County, population approximately 35,361. Winfield was one of the first six cities to join the Kansas Power Pool in 2004.

The City is unique in providing a full range of municipal utility services to its citizens, including electric and gas utilities, water, wastewater, and sanitation services. Other municipal services include police and fire protection, ambulance services, construction and maintenance of streets, drainage facilities and other infrastructure, recreation and cultural activities, a municipal golf course, community and industrial development, planning and zoning, building inspection, cemetery operations and maintenance, general administration, and internal support services. The City provides recycling to its citizens, along with composting site facilities, available at no charge to the area residents. In addition, library services and low-income housing are provided by component units of the City.

City Manager

City Clerk

Director of Utilities

Electric Generation Equipment

Director of Electric & Water Utilities:  Gus Collins
Power Plant Phone:  785-425-6525

Municipal Utilities

Evolution of the Smart Grid at the Forefront of Transformative Change

January 2, 2020

by Darrell Proctor
POWER Magazine
Posted January 2, 2020

The power industry is in the midst of a shake-up, a revolution in how electricity is generated and distributed. Smart grid technology is changing the way utilities and customers interact, and providing support for the integration of renewable resources and energy storage to the grid.


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From Smart Cities to Smarter Devices: The State of the Energy Industry in 2020

January 2, 2020

by Rip Gerber
POWER Magazine

How the energy industry and the cloud can partner to meet the challenges of smart city development.

Click here to read the entire article.

Power Industry Disrupters:
Gas, Renewables, and Storage

January 2, 2020

by Aaron Larson
POWER Magazine
posted January 2, 2020

The power industry is experiencing significant changes. Natural gas, wind, solar and battery storage seem to be the wave of the future. What’s compelling the transformation? Some people point to environmental concerns, including climate change, but decreasing costs are also a prime driver.


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