First section of V Plan transmission line completed

On Thursday, Prairie Wind Transmission will mark the completion of its part of the 345-kilovolt transmission line, known as the “V Plan,” through southern Kansas.

The 108-mile section runs from the Gordon Evans Energy Center, a few miles northwest of Wichita, to a substation near Medicine Lodge and includes a small extension to the Oklahoma border where it hooks into a new power line running north. At Medicine Lodge, the power line is set to connect with a power line coming from a substation near Spearville, near Dodge City, that is being built by ITC Great Plains.

The ITC Great Plains portion of the V Plan is set to be switched on sometime before the end of December.

The double-circuit line will connect eastern and western Kansas, promoting growth of renewable energy in Kansas, providing greater access to electricity and improved reliability in the region.

Prairie Wind Transmission consists of Westar Energy and Electric Transmission America.

This story was originally published October 28, 2014 at 7:44 AM with the headline "First section of V Plan transmission line completed."