Interesting news out of Kansas today. A legislator has proposed, and the House passed, a bill requiring the Kansas Corporation Commission to consider asthetics, location, environment and population density when siting electric transmission lines.
The commission shall make its decision with respect to the necessity for and the reasonableness of the location of the proposed electric transmission line or urban electric transmission line, taking into consideration: (1) The benefit to both consumers in Kansas and consumers outside the state and; (2) the economic development benefits in Kansas; and (3) the local aesthetics, location, environment and population density. The commission shall issue or withhold the permit applied for and may condition such permit as the commission may deem just and reasonable and as may, in its judgment, best protect the rights of all interested parties and those of the general public.
And what sparked this? Evergy's placement of 105-ft. tall electric towers right in the front yards of a low-income Wichita neighborhood. Read the article and see the pictures. It's a horror show! The giant metal poles set on huge concrete bases are literally right outside these people's homes.
Evergy must have thought it was better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission and has "apologized and donated $1.2 million to a community fund." That's great, but those people STILL have these giant structures in their front yards that wreck their property values. Apologies and donations to a community fund don't fix that. Evergy should be forced to tear that crap down and re-route it underground along existing public rights of way.
And here's the real punch in the eye.
Evergy must have thought it was better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission and has "apologized and donated $1.2 million to a community fund." That's great, but those people STILL have these giant structures in their front yards that wreck their property values. Apologies and donations to a community fund don't fix that. Evergy should be forced to tear that crap down and re-route it underground along existing public rights of way.
And here's the real punch in the eye.
Property owners were paid several hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars by the utility company for easements.
That is simply outrageous! OUTRAGEOUS!
Rep. Gail Finney, D-Wichita, urged House colleagues to expand authority of the Kansas Corporation Commission to regulate placement of transmission lines in cities. It would require the KCC to take into account population density, location and aesthetics in siting decisions.
It wouldn’t alter reality faced by residents of about 75 homes in close proximity to the utility towers in Wichita, but it would create a form of due process for property owners by requiring a siting permit.
“It’s not going to do anything to help these people right now,” Finney said. “What I’m doing is trying to help people in the future. It could happen to any one of you.”
It also won't alter the reality faced by Kansans in rural areas, whose own homes and businesses are devalued by new transmission lines used to ship electricity produced in Kansas (or maybe Oklahoma, or Texas) out of state.
While the sentiment here is appreciated, it's sad that it took the trashing of a neighborhood in Wichita to get elected representatives to open their eyes to the reality of transmission siting. A much better solution would be to narrow eminent domain authority and require new transmission to be buried when requested. Of course, something like that might cost Evergy more than an apology and $1.2M. But what do they care? They recover every penny they spend from ratepayers, plus interest.
But all the best intentions in the world can't overcome the capture of the Kansas Corporation Commission by the utilities it regulates. The KCC will "consider" all those new standards only as much as the utilities direct them to.
Maybe Kansas needs to fix its KCC first?
While the sentiment here is appreciated, it's sad that it took the trashing of a neighborhood in Wichita to get elected representatives to open their eyes to the reality of transmission siting. A much better solution would be to narrow eminent domain authority and require new transmission to be buried when requested. Of course, something like that might cost Evergy more than an apology and $1.2M. But what do they care? They recover every penny they spend from ratepayers, plus interest.
But all the best intentions in the world can't overcome the capture of the Kansas Corporation Commission by the utilities it regulates. The KCC will "consider" all those new standards only as much as the utilities direct them to.
Maybe Kansas needs to fix its KCC first?
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