Special to the Leader & Times

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has scheduled two public hearings on Sunflower and ITC’s application for approval to site a 180-mile, 345 kV electric transmission line through Finney, Kearny, Wichita, Scott, Logan, Sherman, Thomas and Cheyenne Counties.

Sunflower and ITC are proposing to construct the line beginning at the Holcomb Substation near Garden City, Kansas and ending at an interconnection point near the Kansas-Colorado border approximately six miles south of U.S. Highway 36. The transmission line will be extended through Colorado to the Sidney Substation in western Nebraska. The Kansas portion of the line is approximately 180 miles in length.

The public hearings will give Kansas residents an opportunity to learn more about the proposed location of the line, ask questions, and make public comments before the commission. Prior to each hearing, commission staff and utility representatives will be present at an Open House to answer questions and discuss maps of the proposed route.

The first public hearing will be  Monday, Sept. 28 at the Pauline Joyce Fine Arts Building of Garden City Community College, 801 Campus Drive in Garden City. The open house will run from 3 to 6 p.m., and the public hearing will begin at 6 p.m.

The second public hearing will be Tuesday, Sept. 29 at Colby Community College at 1255 S. Range Ave. in Colby,. The open house will run from 3 to 6 p.m. The open house will run from 3 to 6 p.m., and the public hearing will begin at 6 p.m.

Anyone unable to attend in person may participate by Zoom with advance registration by noon the day prior to the hearing. The Commission is also accepting written comments through Oct. 9.

To register to attend by Zoom or submit a written comment, visit https://kcc-connect.kcc.ks.gov/s/public-comments. 

In addition, the hearings will be broadcast live on the agency’s YouTube channel and will be available for later viewing.