Mossman Transmission Line Upgrade

Transmission line upgrades enhance reliability and strengthen the power grid, allowing us to serve homes and businesses well into the future.

Overview

Evergy is preparing to rebuild the 60-year-old, 2-mile transmission line that connects the Mossman substation, located at Mossman and Chautauqua streets, to the Wichita State University substation, located at 17th and Bluff streets. Evergy is also preparing to rebuild and expand the existing Mossman substation. 

The project replaces a transmission line from the 1960s that is nearing the end of its service life. Upgrading the infrastructure is needed to ensure our equipment meets modern construction standards for reliability and safety. The upgrades will enhance electric reliability and support growth in Wichita, as well as strengthen the regional power grid. The new line will be stronger, more efficient and will incorporate technology that can help reduce power outages, both in frequency and length.

Route

Multiple potential routes between the two substations were evaluated. Two viable overhead routes were presented to the community – one that follows the existing route with some modifications and one that would follow the Redbud Trail.  

We hosted an informational meeting in August 2022 to seek public input about both route options. We asked affected landowners and community members to share their thoughts in an online survey. Thank you to those who attended the meeting and took the time to complete the survey.

The vote breakdown between the two routes was near even, falling within the statistical margin of error. The survey did reveal that weathered steel poles were largely preferred over galvanized steel poles. Weathered steel poles are brown and galvanized steel poles are silver.

Evergy with the City of Wichita used these results and worked together to choose the route with the least impact to customers, which has been determined to be the route following the Redbud Trail. 

 

Mossman-WSU Transmission Line Project Community Meeting

August 18, 2022

Design

The transmission line will be built using steel poles because of the curvature of the Redbud Trail. Due to the trail’s terrain, the pole heights will vary along the path. At this stage of the project, the design has not been finalized, but our preliminary plan has the poles about 200-350 feet apart about 80-100 feet tall. A finalized design will be shared at a future open house held closer to the time that construction begins.

 

Based on the community’s preference, we will use weathered steel poles along the Redbud Trail. Galvanized steel poles will be used along 17th Street to match the existing steel poles that are already in place in that area. Steel poles are utilized for additional reliability and resiliency with the harsh weather conditions our communities can face.

 

Vegetation removal will be required for the safe construction and operation of the transmission line. There will be no changes to Evergy’s routine tree trimming around the distribution line along the Red Bud Trail which will take place in 2023 and into 2024 and is separate from the vegetation clearing needed for the transmission line rebuild.

 


Timeline

Construction is scheduled to take place in 2025. Property restoration will take place after construction is completed. Duration of restoration is weather dependent and varies by project, but properties will be restored to, near as reasonable, pre-construction condition. 

 

Communications

Evergy is committed to transparent and timely communications with stakeholders who have an interest in the project, including neighborhood residents. As plans for the project are developed, we will share details with residents in the area. 

 

We are hosting an open house in October 2023. An additional open house will be held at a later date with more details regarding pole size and locations. People who live or own property along the transmission line route will receive letters of invitation from Evergy, but the meetings will be open to the community. 

 

Project details will continue to be updated online at www.evergy.com/mossman.


 

Frequently Asked Questions 

 
Evergy is preparing to rebuild the 60-year-old, 2-mile transmission line that connects the Mossman substation, located at Mossman and Chautauqua streets, to the Wichita State University substation, located at 17th and Bluff streets. Evergy is also preparing to rebuild and expand the existing Mossman substation. 
The project replaces a transmission line from the 1960s that is nearing the end of its service life. Upgrading the infrastructure is needed to ensure our equipment meets modern construction standards for reliability and safety. The upgrades will enhance electric reliability and support growth in Wichita, as well as strengthen the regional power grid. The new line will be stronger, more efficient and will incorporate technology that can help reduce power outages, both in frequency and length. 
Construction is scheduled to take place in 2025. 
Property restoration will take place after construction is complete. Duration of restoration is weather dependent and varies by project, but properties will be restored to, near as reasonable, pre-construction condition.

Multiple potential routes between the two substations were evaluated. Two viable overhead routes were presented to the community – one that follows the existing route with some modifications and one that would follow the Redbud Trail.

We hosted an informational meeting in August 2022 to seek public input about both options. We also asked affected landowners and community members to share their thoughts in an online survey. Thank you to those who attended the meeting and took the time to complete the survey.

The vote breakdown between the two routes was near even, falling within the statistical margin of error. The survey did reveal that weathered steel poles were largely preferred over galvanized steel poles. Weathered steel poles are brown and galvanized steel poles are silver.

Evergy with the City of Wichita used these results and worked together to choose the route with the least impact to customers, which has been determined to be the route following the Redbud Trail.

The transmission line will be built using steel poles because of the curvature of the Redbud Trail. Due to the trail’s terrain, the pole heights will vary along the path. At this stage of the project, the design has not been finalized, but our preliminary plan has the poles about 200-350 feet apart about 80-100 feet tall. A finalized design will be shared at a future open house held closer to the time that construction begins.

Based on the community’s preference, we will use weathered steel poles along the Redbud Trail. Galvanized steel poles will be used along 17th Street to match the existing steel poles that are already in place in that area. Steel poles are utilized for additional reliability and resiliency with the harsh weather conditions our communities can face.

Vegetation removal will be required for the safe construction and operation of the transmission line. There will be no changes to Evergy’s routine tree trimming around the distribution line along the Red Bud Trail which will take place in 2023 and into 2024 and is separate from the vegetation clearing needed for the transmission line rebuild. 

As plans for the project are developed, we will share details with residents in the area. We hosted an open house in August 2022 and October 2023.  An additional open house will be held at a later date with more details regarding pole size and locations. People who live or own property along the transmission line route will receive letters of invitation from Evergy, but the meetings will be open to the community. Project details will continue to be updated online at www.evergy.com/mossman.
While it’s more common to bury distribution lines or service lines, it’s not common to bury transmission lines in our area. Cost and feasibility prevent undergrounding for most projects. Typically, room isn’t available to rebuild the transmission line underground because other utilities (natural gas and water lines, for example) are already underground in the area. Transmission lines carry more electricity than distribution lines, which results in larger and more complex construction and higher costs when buried. The cost to construct underground transmission lines generally is about eight times more than overhead. As we work to maintain affordable electricity rates, we must take this into consideration as those costs are included in the rates all customers pay for their service. 
 
Steel poles are more reliable and resilient than wood poles in the harsh weather conditions our communities can face. Steel poles can also make for an overall smaller footprint than lattice structure or poles that require guywires for support.
This project will benefit residents and businesses in Wichita, south-central Kansas and beyond by strengthening the regional power grid and enhancing reliability. It also will provide tax revenue, construction jobs, local expenditures and will expand capabilities for future investment in area business and industry.
 
Evergy will construct and own the new transmission line. The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) operates the transmission system in the region for this transmission line. SPP will direct Evergy to operate the new transmission line.
 
Evergy will design and construct the transmission line using both Evergy resources and subcontractors depending on the task. Evergy will provide project management services and coordination during construction of the project.
 
Evergy believes the environment is an important factor when planning and designing transmission line projects. We work closely with appropriate organizations, including the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Historical Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy from the beginning of projects to make sure any direct environmental impact is appropriately identified and addressed. We believe this kind of collaboration leads to developing a transmission line route that aligns with federal and state energy and environmental policy objectives. We adhere to all state and federal regulations to protect native plants, threatened or endangered species, wetlands and water and air quality. 
 


Participants 

Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC)  

The KCC regulates and has the responsibility of ensuring electric utilities provide safe, adequate and reliable services at reasonable rates. The mission of the KCC is to protect the public interest through impartial and efficient resolution of all jurisdictional issues.  

Southwest Power Pool (SPP)  

The SPP is a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO), mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure and competitive wholesale prices of electricity. SPP operates subject to a tariff filed with and governed by FERC. This tariff contains over 2,100 pages of rates, terms and conditions for providing transmission service to SPP’s customers to move wholesale electric power within and across SPP’s 17-state footprint.  
 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 

FERC regulates the transmission and wholesale sales of electricity in interstate commerce and ensures the reliability of high-voltage interstate transmission systems.  
 

Evergy, Inc. (Evergy)

Evergy, Inc. (NYSE: EVRG) serves approximately 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. We generate nearly half the power we provide to homes and businesses with emission-free sources. We support our local communities where we live and work and strive to meet the needs of customers through energy savings and innovative solutions. 
 
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