August 19, 2010
Kansas

A primer on the ITC line

By Mark Anderson, Editor, Kiowa County Signal, www.kiowacountysignal.com 19 August 2010

Greensburg, KS – Often called the Kansas V-Plan, for the shape of the proposed transmission line, ITC’s plan was approved by the Southwest Power Pool last April as a priority project. Here are some answers to possible questions involving the project.

How long is the total “V”? The route from Spearville to Wichita is tentatively 180 miles in length, with the first 110 miles from Spearville to Medicine Lodge being ITC’s portion of the project. The first part of the “V” will be from Spearville to a substation somewhere in the northern Comanche/southern Kiowa County area. From there it will take a turn toward Medicine Lodge and then Wichita, roughly forming a “V” shaped route.

Why is it being built? Basically, to connect eastern and western Kansas, there being little if any transmission line capacity currently to carry any more energy—especially wind-generated energy—from this area of the state to the more densely populated areas to the east. Once the line is in operation more area wind farms will be more economically feasible with the increased transmission capacity.

How will the line look? It will consist of 150-foot tall towers, built of steel. The path will require an easement of 200 to 300 feet, including the towers.

How much would landowners be compensated for the line crossing their land? That is yet to be determined.

Could the new line parallel the existing power line route that already cuts across Kiowa County, northwest to southeast, connected to the substation along US 183 just south of US 54? Though ITC won’t comment on that possibility Gene West presented the idea to Poprave as a selling point for Kiowa County’s consideration.

How much space would the substation take up? Around 50 to 60 acres according to Poprave.

Would the property taxes paid by ITC for the line crossing the county be phased in over time? No, they would be fully in effect from the outset.

Is ITC pursuing other lines in the area? Yes, the so-called KETA project involves a 185-mile line, from Spearville to Axtell, Nebraska. ITC is also looking to build an 18-mile line, including a substation in southeastern Oklahoma.

What’s the City’s position on the line? No tax revenues would, of course, go to the City of Greensburg. City Administrator Steve Hewitt, however, is aware of the benefits of the line’s presence for all involved. “This would be good for our county and this part of the state,” Hewitt said. “It will provide a bigger tax base, better economic development and jobs. It would free up cash for the county to use on infrastructure and the increased revenue is going to trickle down to the city itself. We’re in touch with ITC, they’ve kept us informed of the progress and they know we’re fully behind this line going through the county.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/08/19/a-primer-on-the-itc-line/