Session of 2025
HOUSE BILL No. 2148
By Representatives Waymaster and Moser
1-29
AN ACT concerning electric transmission lines; relating to the state
corporation commission; prohibiting the permitting of transmission
lines located within any territory designated by the United States
department of energy as a national interest electric transmission
corridor; prohibiting the exercise of eminent domain in any such
territory except under limited circumstances; amending K.S.A. 66-
1,178 and repealing the existing section.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
New Section 1. (a) The state corporation commission shall not
authorize any electric public utility to apply for or obtain a transmission
line siting permit pursuant to K.S.A. 66-1,177 et seq., and amendments
thereto, if the proposed electric transmission lines would be located in a
national interest electric transmission corridor.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), no electric public utility
shall exercise the power of eminent domain pursuant to K.S.A. 17-618,
and amendments thereto, or section 216(e) of the federal power act, for the
purpose of constructing electric transmission lines in a national interest
electric transmission corridor.
(c) This section shall not prohibit an electric public utility from
exercising the power of eminent domain for the construction of electric
transmission lines in a national interest electric transmission corridor if
such electric transmission lines were authorized pursuant to a transmission
line siting permit that was approved by the state corporation commission
prior to designation of such national interest electric transmission corridor
by the United States department of energy pursuant to section 216(a)(2) of
the federal power act.
(d) As used in the section:
(1) "Electric transmission lines" means the same as defined in K.S.A.
66-1,177, and amendments thereto.
(2) "National interest electric transmission corridor" means any
territory designated as a national interest electric transmission corridor
pursuant to a national interest electric transmission corridor designation
report issued by the United States department of energy pursuant to section
216(a)(2) of the federal power act.
Sec. 2. K.S.A. 66-1,178 is hereby amended to read as follows: 66-
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1,178. (a) No electric utility may begin site preparation for or construction
of an electric transmission line, or exercise the right of eminent domain to
acquire any interest in land in connection with the site preparation for a
construction of any such line without first acquiring a siting permit from
the commission. Except as provided in section 1, and amendments thereto,
whenever any electric utility desires to obtain such a permit, the utility
shall file an application with the commission setting forth therein that the
utility proposes to construct an electric transmission line and specifying:
(1) The proposed location thereof;
(2) the names and addresses of the landowners of record whose land
or interest therein is proposed to be acquired in connection with the
construction of or is located within 660 feet of the center line of the
easement where the line is proposed to be located; and
(3) such other information as may be required by the commission.
(b) Upon the filing of an application pursuant to subsection (a), the
commission shall fix a time for a public hearing on such application,
which shall be not more than 90 days after the date the application was
filed, to determine the necessity for and the reasonableness of the location
of the proposed electric transmission line. The commission shall fix the
place for hearing, which shall be in one of the counties through which the
electric transmission line is proposed to traverse.
(c) The commission may conduct an evidentiary hearing on an
application filed pursuant to this section at such time and place as the
commission deems appropriate.
(d) The commission shall issue a final order on the application within
120 days after the date the application was filed.
Sec. 3. K.S.A. 66-1,178 is hereby repealed.
Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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