A consumer advocate wants to know why Western Resources needs two jet planes and whether the company's ratepayers are footing the bills for them.
"We'd like to get a better idea about what some of the corporate executives are doing and whether these planes involve regulated or nonregulated activities," said Walker Hendrix, consumer counsel for the state Citizens Utility Ratepayers Board.
Hendrix, of Lawrence, has asked the Kansas Corporation Commission, to order Western Resources to share information on the jets with CURB.
Western Resources' ratepayers, he argued, are entitled to know who's paying the costs of storing, maintaining and operating the airplanes.
If these costs are being passed on to the company's customers, Hendrix said he'll press to have them dropped from the rate calculations.
Hendrix's request is one of many filed in reaction to a proposed $151 million rate increase for Western Resources. Rate increases require the approval of the three-member KCC.
Western Resources recently filed papers, asking the KCC to deny CURB's request.
"The planes belong to an unregulated subsidiary and have nothing to do with the rate structure," said Cynthia McCarvel, a spokeswoman for KPL, a Western Resources subsidiary.
The jets, McCarvel said, belong to West Star Aviation, a subsidiary of West Star Industries, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Resources.
"They are used for business purposes," she said.
Hendrix said he's not accusing Western Resources of any wrongdoing; instead, he's only asking the company to back its claims with records showing how the airplanes are used and where the money comes from to pay for them.
"This is a matter pending before the Commission, and will be resolved in due course," said KCC commissioner Brian Moline.
A date for ruling on CURB's request has not been set.
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