Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB266 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	Session of 2025
2	2	SENATE BILL No. 266
3	3	By Committee on Federal and State Affairs
4	4	2-13
5	5	AN ACT concerning energy; relating to electric transmission development;
6	6	requiring legislative approval prior to the construction of high-impact
7	7	electric transmission lines; amending K.S.A. 66-1,177 and 66-1,178
8	8	and repealing the existing sections.
9	9	Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
10	10	Section 1. K.S.A. 66-1,177 is hereby amended to read as follows: 66-
11	11	1,177. As used in this act, the following terms shall have the meanings
12	12	ascribed to them herein:
13	13	(a) "Electric utility" means every public utility, as defined by K.S.A.
14	14	66-104, which and amendments thereto, that owns, controls, operates or
15	15	manages any equipment, plant or generating machinery for the production,
16	16	transmission, delivery or furnishing, of electricity or electric power;
17	17	(b) "Electric transmission lines line" means any line or extension of a
18	18	line which that is at least five (5) miles in length and which is used for the
19	19	bulk transfer of two hundred thirty (230) kilovolts or more of electricity;
20	20	(c) "Commission" means the state corporation commission.
21	21	(d) "High-impact electric transmission line" means any line or
22	22	extension of a line that is at least 10 miles in length and used for the bulk
23	23	transfer of 340 kilovolts or more of electricity.
24	24	Sec. 2. K.S.A. 66-1,178 is hereby amended to read as follows: 66-
25	25	1,178. (a) No electric utility may begin site preparation for or construction
26	26	of an electric transmission line, or exercise the right of eminent domain to
27	27	acquire any interest in land in connection with the site preparation for a
28	28	construction of any such line without:
29	29	(1) First acquiring a siting permit from the commission; and
30	30	(2) if such line is a high-impact electric transmission line, also
31	31	acquiring the approval of the legislature in accordance with subsection
32	32	(c).
33	33	(b) (1) Whenever any electric utility desires to obtain such a siting
34	34	permit, the utility shall file an application with the commission setting
35	35	forth therein that the utility proposes to construct an electric transmission
36	36	line and specifying:
37	37	(1) (A) The proposed location thereof;
38	38	(2)(B) the names and addresses of the landowners of record whose
39	39	land or interest therein is proposed to be acquired in connection with the
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76	76	construction of or is located within 660 feet of the center line of the
77	77	easement where the line is proposed to be located; and
78	78	(3)(C) such other information as may be required by the commission.
79	79	(b)(2) Upon the filing of an application pursuant to this subsection
80	80	(a), the commission shall fix a time for a public hearing on such
81	81	application, which shall be not more than 90 days after the date the
82	82	application was filed, to determine the necessity for and the reasonableness
83	83	of the location of the proposed electric transmission line. The commission
84	84	shall fix the place for hearing, which shall be in one of the counties
85	85	through which the electric transmission line is proposed to traverse.
86	86	(c)(3) The commission may conduct an evidentiary hearing on an
87	87	application filed pursuant to this section at such time and place as the
88	88	commission deems appropriate.
89	89	(d)(4) The commission shall issue a final order on the application
90	90	within 120 days after the date that the application was filed.
91	91	(c) (1) In addition to obtaining a siting permit from the commission, a
92	92	high-impact electric transmission line shall not be constructed anywhere
93	93	in the state without the electric utility first obtaining the approval of the
94	94	legislature. Within 30 days following the commission's issuance of a siting
95	95	permit for a high-impact electric transmission line, the electric utility
96	96	proposing such transmission line shall submit written notice of the
97	97	issuance of such transmission line siting permit to the legislature. Such
98	98	notice shall contain:
99	99	(A) A description of the high-impact electric transmission line
100	100	proposal and the proposed location and route thereof;
101	101	(B) the reason for such high-impact transmission line proposal;
102	102	(C) a copy of the application submitted to the commission pursuant
103	103	to subsection (b);
104	104	(D) a copy of the commission's order granting the transmission line
105	105	siting permit; and
106	106	(E) any other information that the electric utility deems necessary or
107	107	relevant.
108	108	(2) Legislative approval is granted when the legislature adopts a
109	109	concurrent resolution to approve the construction of the high-impact
110	110	electric transmission line at any time. Failure to adopt a concurrent
111	111	resolution within a certain amount of time shall not be construed to
112	112	provide any such legislative approval.
113	113	Sec. 3. K.S.A. 66-1,177 and 66-1,178 are hereby repealed.
114	114	Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
115	115	publication in the statute book.
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