Midwest Begins Operating Winona Gas System

Effective Aug. 19, 2024, Midwest Energy began operating and maintaining the natural gas system in Winona. The City of Winona opted to retain municipal ownership of the 117-meter gas system, but chose Midwest Energy to operate the gas system as well under a new contract with the city.

For the 193 residents of Winona, Kan., located on the high plains 43 miles east of the Kansas-Colorado border, winters can be brutal; residents rely on their electric and natural gas services to keep farms, homes and ranches running. For the city, selecting Midwest Energy seemed a good fit, as the Hays-based cooperative has provided electric service to  the City under franchise for decades.

“Midwest is already out here, so they seemed a logical choice,” said Guy Gaskill, Mayor of Winona and a local banker. “They’ve done a great job with the electrical system, so we’re excited to see how they do with the gas,” he said. Under the one-year contract, the City will retain responsibility for administrative matters, such as billing and handling customer service matters. Midwest personnel based in Sharon Springs and Oakley, both within a 30-minute drive, will provide day-to-day electric and gas service to the City, as well as respond to emergencies.

The contract marks the fourth arrangement in recent years between Midwest Energy and various small cities in central and western Kansas, where the City retains utility system ownership but Midwest operates and maintains it under contract. Midwest began operating systems for the cities of Hill City and Larned 2021, with Larned extending their agreement to a 10-year contract. Midwest began operating Sharon
Springs’ electric system on an annual basis in early 2024.

Gaskill noted that the City’s contract term was short, to allow both parties time to settle into the arrangement.
“We’ve been talking about this a long time, and we’re just really happy to get this started,” Gaskill said. “We will look at how things are running, and at the end of the period evaluate if it makes sense for both sides to keep going forward.”