KCC grants siting approval with conditions for two transmission lines designed to connect wind and solar farms to the Grain Belt Express

TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has given approval with conditions to a siting plan for two 345 kV transmission lines, known as the AC Collector System, designed to connect wind and solar farms to the Grain Belt Express. One line is planned to run 46 miles through parts of Ford, Meade, and Gray Counties (the “Meade-Dodge City Line”) and the other approximately 16 miles through parts of Ford County (the “Bucklin-Dodge City Line”).

Conditions imposed by today’s order require Grain Belt to file a routing analysis comparing the company’s originally proposed route of the Meade-Dodge City line to an alternate route, referred to as Boyd Alternative 2. The two routes only differ within one specifically-defined five-mile area. Upon completion of the study, which is due no later than January 15, 2025, the Commission will schedule a second public hearing and comment period to give affected landowners an opportunity to comment on both routes under consideration. The first public hearing on the company’s originally proposed route was held on July 10.

Other conditions contained in today’s order include the following:

The Commission will allow the company to micro-site the proposed route in order to minimize impact to landowners and to address engineering and environmental constraints. Micro-siting is limited to modifications within 660 feet of the approved-routing centerline.

Grain Belt will not install transmission facilities on easement property until it has executed an interconnect agreement with one or more generators in the vicinity of the relevant AC Collector Line origination points.

If Grain Belt does not execute an interconnection agreement with a generator(s) within five years, any involuntary easements obtained by eminent domain will be returned to landowners within 60 days without requirement of reimbursement payment by the landowner.

Consistent with Grain Belt’s agreement to file Landowner Protocols and a Code of Conduct and Agricultural Impact Mitigation Protocols, Grain Belt is also required to submit, for Commission approval, detailed Kansas-specific protocols governing its relationships with affected oil and gas lease production operators.
The AC Collector System was approved by the Commission in 2011 as part of the Grain Belt Express project. The route of the Grain Belt Express line was approved in 2013. An application requesting approval to determine the route of the AC Collector System was filed on May 31 of this year.