The recommendation to form a municipal utility comes from a 30-member task force of business and civic leaders. The group spent weeks studying the issue after the Kansas Corporation Commission refused to address the rate disparity imposed on Wichita and South Central Kansas by Western Resources.

"The Kansas Corporation Commission has acknowledged that Western Resources is one company and admits the rate disparity is a problem," said Mayor Bob Knight, "but it still refuses to address the issue in a timely way. The KCC has said the rate disparity can be talked about in the next rate case four or five years from now. Well, we aren’t going to wait that long. The refusal of the KCC to correct a problem it admits exists and is unfair, is forcing us to take control of our own future. If we can’t rely on the regulators to deal with the problem, we will deal with it ourselves. We will determine our own destiny."

Knight continued, "This task force is made up of some of the most talented, insightful citizens I know. Two former chairmen of the KCC served on the task force and a third former KCC chairman is a consulting attorney to the task force. They have carefully examined the information, analyzed the options and are recommending that Wichita establish a municipal utility, which will give us the option of buying electricity from providers other than Western Resources," said Mayor Bob Knight.

City Council Member Joe Pisciotte, who chaired the task force, says the bottom line is simple:

"Wichita is ready to determine its own destiny when it come to electric rates. Western Resources has refused to help us end the rate disparity. The Kansas Corporation Commission has refused to help us end the rate disparity, even though it admits the rate disparity is a problem. The Task Force is recommending that we help ourselves solve this problem and correct this economic injustice by taking bold action."