OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – May 17, 2010 – Kansas Gas Service, a division of ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE), announced today that the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has granted its motion to withdraw its previously filed application to become an Efficiency Kansas Loan Program utility partner and provide a suite of energy-efficiency programs.
"Considering the wide discrepancy that exists between the positions of the parties involved in this case, we believe it's in our customers' and the company's best interests to withdraw our application," said Brad Dixon, president of Kansas Gas Service.
The Efficiency Kansas Loan Program, operated by the State Energy Office, is designed to promote energy conservation through energy-efficiency improvements in existing Kansas homes and small businesses.
In its application filed in December 2009, the company's participation in the Efficiency Kansas program was contingent upon the KCC's approval of a rate mechanism that would recover losses from declining sales and an energy conservation rider to recover program costs.
Kansas Gas Service will continue to explore opportunities to promote energy-efficiency initiatives in a manner that does not penalize the company and meets state regulators' requirements.
The KCC has cancelled the following public hearings on the company's energy-efficiency application:
Monday, May 17 6:30-9:00 p.m.
Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center – Room 101 AB 225 West Douglas Avenue Wichita, KS
Tuesday, May 18 6:30-9:00 p.m.
Kansas Corporation Commission 1st Floor Hearing Room 1500 SW Arrowhead Road Topeka, KS
Kansas Gas Service provides clean, reliable natural gas to more than 643,000 customers in 337 communities in Kansas. It is a division of ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE), a diversified energy company. ONEOK is the general partner and owns 42.8 percent of ONEOK Partners, L.P. (NYSE: OKS), one of the largest publicly traded limited partnerships, which is a leader in the gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas in the U.S. and owns one of the nation's premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems, connecting NGL supply in the Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions with key market centers. ONEOK is among the largest natural gas distributors in the United States, serving more than 2 million customers in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. Its energy services operation focuses primarily on marketing natural gas and related services throughout the U.S. ONEOK is a Fortune 500 company and is included in the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index.
For more information, visit the websites at www.kansasgasservice.com or www.oneok.com. KGS-P
###