TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly held a press conference Wednesday to announce her back to school vaccination plan. In addition, Kansas Corporation Commission Chairperson Andrew French provided an update on extreme cold temperatures and their impact on Kansas' energy grid.
Utility companies in Kansas lifted rolling power blackouts Tuesday but most of the state is expected to remain in a deep freeze until temperatures warm later in the week.
The Southwest Power Pool ordered the blackouts Monday and early Tuesday to save energy reserves in the 14 states it oversees. The utilities asked customers to continue to conserve energy to avoid future blackouts and said the blackouts could return without warning if necessary.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1267 to a total of 288,717, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon. Coronavirus deaths were reported at 4521 an increase of 115.