TOPEKA — The Kansas Corporation Commission approved Wednesday a siting permit for a power line that will pass through Allen County.
Commissioners voted, 2-1, to allow plans for the Wolf Creek to Blackberry 345 kV transmission line to cross Coffey, Anderson, Allen, Bourbon and Crawford counties, according to a KCC news release.
NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest will construct and operate the line.
In addition to approving the proposed route, the Commission granted NextEra “micro-siting authority,” to allow the company to make minor modifications to the route and the placement of infrastructure to accommodate landowner preferences or to avoid environmental concerns.
However, material, major adjustments, and any adjustment for which landowners would not have received notice, must be approved by the Commission before implementation.
In addition NextEra is required to file its permit and county and private landowner reclamation plans with the Commission when they are completed.
NextEra also notify all landowners along the route of the landowner’s right to request an electromagnetic field (EMF) study after the line is completed.
Commission Chair Susan Duffy and Commissioner Andrew French voted in favor of approving the line siting permit. Commissioner Dwight Keen was opposed, and filed a dissent. Among other concerns, Keen noted the line runs parallel to an existing Evergy line.
Keen offered the Southwest Power Pool could have considered double circuiting those lines to reduce landowner impact for a portion of the route.
Double circuiting was evaluated, but not pursued due to estimated increased costs, time delays and differences in construction methods between the two companies, KCC’s news release said.
The Wolf Creek to Blackberry project originated from the Southwest Power Pool, a regional transmission organization mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale prices on behalf of its members.
Kansas is one of 17 states served by SPP.
In 2019, the Wolf Creek to Blackberry line was identified by SPP as a necessary economic project to increase transmission capability and reliability and relieve transmission congestion from western Kansas, east to SPP load centers.
The Commission’s order also noted a need for SPP to provide an avenue for state input and involvement early in the design process on future projects and the Commission’s intent to open a general investigation into principles and priorities to be used in future line siting proceedings.
