Newly Energized Kansas Transmission Line to Benefit Members of KPP Energy

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
October 18, 2022

The Kingman to Cunningham Direct Connect transmission line in Kansas was recently completed and put into service, KPP Energy announced. KPP Energy was formerly known as the Kansas Power Pool.

The project includes 4 ½ miles of 34,500-volt electric lines and a 115,000/34,500-volt substation, KPP Energy reported in the September 2022 issue of its “Lightning Round” newsletter.

The substation is an entirely new facility. The 4 ½ miles of line will connect the substation to a 34,500-volt electric line approximately two miles north of Cunningham built and owned by the City of Kingman, Kansas.

KPP Energy estimates the new facilities will cost its membership around $400,000 a year but will save those members $500,000 a year in avoided transmission service costs and full provision of services to Kingman.

In addition, KPP Energy estimates that Kingman will save over $100,000 a year in generation costs, an estimate made when natural gas costs were approximately 1/3 of what they are today, the Lightning Round article noted. Moreover, Kingman, as a member of KPP Energy, will also share in KPP Energy’s savings.

The project, combined with recent upgrades Kingman has made to its electric facilities in town, will allow Kingman’s generation to be fully utilized by the wholesale electric market, the article pointed out.

“Furthermore, as an added benefit, other nearby communities will benefit by having this important local source of generation available to provide wholesale generation service when other resources are not available or limited,” the article said.

Now, for the first time in its history, “Kingman is fully interconnected with the transmission grid and has the capability of providing electric service to all its current customers and to meet the needs of future development opportunities as they arise.”

Additional details about the project and its background are available in the Lightning Round newsletter by clicking here.

For additional information about KPP Energy, click here.