Ranchers and farmers in southern Kansas have come out against a 155-mile transmission line proposed by Evergy, a line that would span from just outside Wichita to Southwest Missouri and enter into Oklahoma for about 20 miles.
The project is known in Southwest Power Pool documents as the Branson 345 kV overlay projects. It consists of three parts with a total cost of nearly $1 billion. It starts with an approximately 155-mile line from the Buffalo Flats substation in Kansas, to Delaware, Oklahoma. In a January 2025 report, the SSP estimated a $484 million cost for that part.
Evergy asked the Kansas Corporation Commission for approval of the route. If given, it would allow construction to begin in 2027 with completion made in 2029. The company says it plans on building 133 miles of line in Kansas but 20 miles will be constructed by American Electric Power in Oklahoma…