Evergy, an investor-owned utility serving users across Kansas and Missouri, has selected Kigen, a specialist in eSIM and iSIM technology, to strengthen grid resiliency.

By adopting UK firm Kigen’s secure eSIM OS and eIM, Evergy is unifying private LTE and public networks into an automated connectivity layer, creating a foundation for more reliable operations in the face of severe weather, growing energy demand and the complexity of distributed energy resources (DERs).

Reliability is central to Evergy’s strategy, alongside affordability and sustainability. As utilities integrate DERs, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and dynamic billing, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity becomes critical. Severe thunderstorms, storm-related outages and routine network upgrades can all disrupt real-time telemetry that forms the heartbeat of a modern grid. Without automation, managing tens of thousands of IoT devices at scale would create unacceptable risks to both service continuity and cost efficiency.

Evergy’s LTE network already spans 100 sites, supporting thousands of IoT sensors, AMI and operational technology devices. With expansion expected to reach tens of thousands of devices, failover between private and public networks must be seamless. Manual approaches cannot keep pace at this scale.

“As we modernise our grids, uninterrupted device data mean visibility and preparation against outages from both the fast-changing energy transition and unpredictable severe weather,” said Bill Franzen, Evergy lead radio engineer. “Taking control of our infrastructure requires network availability, and automation is the foundation on which dynamic billing and AI can build. Kigen eSIMs and the eIM, configured to Evergy’s needs, enable us to set a new benchmark in grid resiliency, what has long been the holy grail of resilient, intelligent grids.”

Kigen’s secure eSIM OS and SGP.32-compliant eIM give Evergy the flexibility to manage connectivity dynamically through eSIMs provisioned with multiple operator profiles. Kigen eSIM OS for IoT and consumer devices includes configurable features such as its network rescue and recovery applet, which enables dynamic, automated failover between private LTE and preferred public networks based on business rules. These operations are centrally managed through Kigen Pulse, allowing control at fleet scale – by geography, asset type or site – ensuring continuity of operations, reducing lifecycle costs, and supporting broader goals of capital efficiency, safety and sustainability.

Cyber security is paramount in critical infrastructure. Evergy’s deployment relies on the Kigen eIM hosted at its Dublin site, which is certified under the GSMA Security Accreditation Scheme for Subscription Management (SAS-SM). This site operates the Kigen eIM to the latest GSMA SGP.32 IoT eSIM specification, providing both assurance of compliance and trusted foundation required for secure, grid-ready operations.

“Building in dynamic automation for scaled failover and recovery, we enable Evergy’s vision to design for improved reliability, resilience and operational intelligence,” said Vincent Korstanje, CEO at Kigen. “As utilities navigate the energy transition, uninterrupted connectivity is the foundation for AI, dynamic billing and DER integration. With Kigen’s configurable eSIM OS and SGP.32-compliant eIM, utilities can take control of their connectivity and create the intelligent grids the future demands.

Headquartered in Kansas City, Evergy (investors.evergy.com) serves 1.7 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. About half of its power comes from carbon-free sources, creating more reliable energy with less impact to the environment.

Based in Cambridge, UK, Kigen (kigen.com) is a forerunner in eSIM and iSIM security, enabling manufacturers to adopt and scale cellular IoT with ease. Backed by Arm, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and SBI Group, its technology delivers freedom to choose from more than 200 terrestrial networks, with proven interoperability on leading chipsets and modules.