Westar Energy and Electric Transmission America's JV plans to develop high-capacity transmission line from Wichita, Kansas, to the Oklahoma border to promote wind energy, seeks route input from landowners

Rachel Carter

TOPEKA, Kansas , October 29, 2010 (press release) – Landowners encouraged to provide feedback regarding possible route options.

Prairie Wind Transmission, a joint venture between Westar Energy and Electric Transmission America, is inviting landowners to a series of open houses to learn more about the routing of a new, high-capacity transmission line from Wichita to Medicine Lodge to the Kansas-Oklahoma border – part of a project commonly referred to as the Y-plan.

Under the Y-plan, Oklahoma Gas and Electric will continue the line from the Kansas- Oklahoma border to Woodward, Okla. ITC Great Plains will construct the line from Medicine Lodge to a Clark County substation and then to Spearville.

Prairie Wind will host five open houses to share information and receive comments regarding the company’s plans to build the high-capacity transmission line.

“These open houses are a great way for us to open dialogue and begin building relationships with landowners,” said Kelly Harrison, president, Prairie Wind Transmission. “The information we receive from landowners at these open houses is invaluable. It’s a much smoother process when we can work together.”

The open houses are informal and designed for residents to come and go at their convenience. They are scheduled from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. as follows:

•    Monday, Nov. 8, 2010, Heritage Center, 1056 SE Isabel Rd., Medicine Lodge
•    Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010, Kiowa Community Building, 119 S 5th St., Kiowa
•    Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010, Garden Plain High School, 720 N Sedgwick St., Garden Plain
•    Monday, Nov. 15, 2010, Chaparral High School, 467 N State Road 14, Anthony
•    Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010, Kingman High School, 260 W Kansas Ave., Kingman

Landowners will be asked to fill out a questionnaire at the open house. The consulting firm, Burns & McDonnell, will score the questionnaires and use the data to help determine a preferred route for the transmission line. Prairie Wind anticipates requesting route approval from the Kansas Corporation Commission in early 2011.

This project will help promote further growth of wind energy in western Kansas by providing a transmission super highway for moving energy east.

For more information about Prairie Wind Transmission, please visit the website at http://www.prairiewindtransmission.com/.

Westar Energy, Inc. (NYSE: WR) is the largest electric utility in Kansas, providing electric service to about 686,000 customers in the state. Westar Energy has about 6,800 megawatts of electric generation capacity and operates and coordinates more than 35,000 miles of electric distribution and transmission lines. For more information about Westar Energy, visit us on the Internet at http://www.WestarEnergy.com.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.

MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, based in Des Moines, Iowa, is a global provider of energy services. Through its energy-related business platforms, MidAmerican provides electric and natural gas service to more than 6.9 million customers worldwide. These business platforms are Pacific Power, Rocky Mountain Power and PacifiCorp Energy, which comprise PacifiCorp; MidAmerican Energy Company; CE Electric UK; Northern Natural Gas Company; Kern River Gas Transmission Company; and CalEnergy. Information about MidAmerican is available at www.midamerican.com.

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