More than 20 people asked questions and made statements at a hearing for a transmission line project that will cut through much of Allen County and southeast Kansas.
A majority of the speakers were landowners and farmers concerned about the impact of the project.
The hearing was organized by the Kansas Corporation Commission as it considers a line siting permit for NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest, LLC. The company has been contracted to build a 94-mile transmission line from a substation near the Wolf Creek power plant to the Blackberry Substation in Missouri.
KCC must approve the line siting permit for the proposed route before NextEra can begin construction. The commission is organizing public hearings to gather information before it makes a decision.
Public hearings were offered Wednesday at Iola High School and on Thursday in Girard. Video of the hearings is available on YouTube.
NextEra gave a short presentation that discussed the history, need and scope of the project.
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) oversees energy needs for 17 states. In 2019, the SPP determined the need for a new transmission to make the system more efficient and reliable. It was expected to save customers millions of dollars by reducing energy congestion on transmission lines.
NextEra Energy’s Jackie Blakley compared it to a highway system. Adding a new route gives the electricity another path to take, and the energy that travels along that path might be cheaper.
The cost of the project is shared across all 17 states in the power pool, which means Kansas is paying for just 16%. Kansas will benefit from jobs created by the construction and about $28 million in tax revenue over 40 years, Blakely said.
She also explained the various factors taken into consideration to determine the transmission line’s path. NextEra looked at environmental impacts such as wetlands and forests, cultural or archeological concerns and endangered species. They considered socio-economic and landowner impacts, such as if the line cuts through tribal lands or is near residences, airports, cities and military sites. It also considered infrastructure such as gas lines, oil wells, bridges and culverts.
The public comment period ends at 5 p.m. March 9. An evidentiary hearing will be conducted on April 21 and a final decision is expected on or before May 24.
Following is a summary of some of the topics brought up by the audience. About 60 or so attended, not including representatives of NextEra or KCC.
Impact on landowners and farmers
Several speakers were concerned about potentially decreased property values for land with transmission lines running through it.
