$113 Million Transmissionline Approved from Saline County to Cloud County

Westar Energy and transmission utility ITC Great Plains have won approval from the Kansas Corporation Commission to build a 345-kilovolt transmission line from Saline County to Cloud County.

At an estimated cost of nearly $113 million, the 60-mile line will connect Westar's Summit substation about 5 miles northeast of Assaria to ITC's Elm Creek substation approximately 4 miles northwest of Aurora. Westar's share of the cost is about $66 million, and ITC's share is $46.8 million.

The goal of the line,  is to "improve electric reliability and efficiency in central Kansas and ensure electricity is available to support economic growth in the area." Construction is expected to begin in mid-2014, and the targeted completion for the line will be in late 2016, according to the Westar release. Westar is based in Topeka. ITC headquarters is in Novi, Mich. ITC's Great Plains office is in Topeka.

The project costs will be absorbed over 40 years from customers in the Southwest Power Pool region, which includes Kansas, Oklahoma, and parts of Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas and Missouri. Initially, Westar's portion of the project will cost Southwest Power Pool customers 65 cents a year -- 45 cents a year from ITC, according to spokesman Joe Kirik -- for a total of $1.10. That amount will depreciate by roughly 2.5 percent a year, said Gina Penzig, Westar spokeswoman.

source from wireworld