FORT SCOTT — Gary Curry and Dan Willis were among several Allen County residents who attended an open house on Tuesday evening in Fort Scott to learn more about an electric transmission line that will cut through their properties.
Both Curry and Willis live in the country north of Gas and had questions about how their land will be affected.
The line is expected to be completed by January 2025. NextEra Energy, the company picked to develop the project, is working with the Kansas Corporation Commission for regulatory and permit approval to determine the power line’s path.
The federal government determined the project was needed to reduce congestion on existing lines and provide more cost-effective and reliable energy for the 14 states in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP).
NextEra will run a 94-mile, 345 kV transmission line to connect a substation near the Wolf Creek Power Plant in Coffey County to the Blackberry substation just over the Missouri state line.
About 220 property owners will be affected in total, with about 58 in Allen County.
The line cuts diagonally through Allen County, entering north of Carlyle near 1400th Street and exiting east of Elsmore near the Bourbon State Fishing Lake.
Some property owners are concerned about the proximity of poles and lines to structures such as homes and barns for livestock. Most of the poles will be situated 500 feet or more from structures, but in a few cases, they’ll be just 200 feet away.
CURRY wonders how the project will affect a hay meadow. His stepmother owns the land; he lives down the road and farms the property. Between 4 and 5 acres will be needed for the transmission line project.
“Right now, I don’t know what kind of effect it’s going to have,” Curry said at the open house.
“A lot of guys are against it. I’m just here to get information.”
As if on cue, Pierce Wortham of NextEra approached Curry to further discuss the issue and answer his questions.
Curry hasn’t yet finalized a land-use agreement with NextEra. About 33% of affected Allen County property owners have signed an agreement.
The debate over the transmission line has been contentious at times, with property owners in affected counties organizing meetings to discuss their options. They’re especially concerned with the proximity of the lines and poles to structures. Some have asked their respective county commissions to intervene, but counties have limited control because the project has been deemed a necessity at both the federal and state levels.
The open house was generally congenial. NextEra set up several information stations where attendees could see visual representations of the project and talk with representatives.
