How will my property be restored after construction?
Property restoration will begin after construction is complete. Duration of restoration is weather dependent, but properties will be restored to, near as reasonable, pre-construction condition. An Evergy project representative will communicate with you to discuss damage, if any, caused by construction.

How was property acquired for the project?
We are committed to transparent and timely communications with landowners. We contacted landowners who have property on the transmission line route to discuss the project and are purchasing the easements necessary to build the line. One-time payments are provided based on the determination of market property values in the local area. We also discussed what to expect from our construction efforts and restoration practices.

What if Evergy can't come to an agreement with property owners?
Fortunately, that is a rare occurrence. Evergy will make every effort to reach negotiated agreements. Evergy may exercise the right of eminent domain to obtain an easement after exhausting attempts through negotiations with a landowner.

Will there be any restrictions on the use of my property?
Our easements allow property owners to continue most uses of their property, including planting crops, pasture and roadways. The existence of a transmission line easement does restrict some possible uses for property, including limiting the amount of allowed grade change, restricting buildings or structures within the easement area and restrictions on planting trees that may grow into the power lines.

What are the existing easement rights?
For Evergy’s projects, the easement permits surveys, construction, operation and maintenance of distribution and transmission lines and other equipment. The easement also permits ingress and egress to the easement and permits the trimming and removal of trees, on or adjoining the easement, that may interfere with the safe and reliable operation of the power lines.

Why are the new easements larger than existing easements?
To meet modern standards for reliability and safety, a wider easement is required to accommodate the area in which the line will blow or sway between poles.

Why do the easement sizes vary?
The easements vary from property to property, but the overall easement width throughout the corridor is 100 feet wide for each 115 kV line and 150 feet wide for each 345 kV line. However, the centerline of the corridor is not the property line. As such, the easement may be wider on one property as opposed to another property.

Why are access rights needed on all properties?
This is a continuation of our existing rights. Once the line is constructed, our use of the provision will look like our past practices. We need access rights for equipment repairs, maintenance or to restore power during an outage. Since the new line will be built to modern standards, our need to access it may be less frequent. An Evergy project representative will communicate with property owners to discuss and compensate for any damage caused by maintenance.

Are the easements maintained by Evergy?
We strive to be good neighbors and stewards of the communities we serve. We repair and maintain the power equipment within the easement. We also keep vegetation trimmed away from the power equipment within the easement. If there is an issue, please contact us and we will do our best to resolve it. While we will trim and/or remove vegetation to ensure the safety and reliability of our transmission line, it is the responsibility of the landowners to maintain their property.

How will you communicate with property owners affected by the project?
We are hosting an informational open house before construction begins. Property owners along the line route received meeting information, but anyone could attend. Justin Rexwinkle, project representative, will be available for the duration of the project to provide information, answer questions or address property owners’ concerns. Justin can be reached at 620-252-5452 or Justin.Rexwinkle@evergy.com.

Who will benefit from the project?
This project will benefit residents and businesses in De Soto, eastern 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.

Who is responsible for this project?
Evergy will construct and own the new substation and transmission lines. 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.

Who will build the lines and manage the construction?
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.

What environmental impacts will be considered with the siting 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, Parks and Tourism, 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.

Regulatory and Government 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.

For more information about public improvement projects occurring in the City of De Soto, please visit www.desotoks.us/343/Construction-Projects.