How many transmission lines are being built?
One line is being built to connect the substations near Rose Hill, Kan., and Perry, Okla. We are considering a number of possible routes for the line.

How many volts of electricity will the line carry?
345 kilovolts (kV)

How long will the line be?
The length of the line will depend on the route selected. The shortest route being studied connecting the Rose Hill and Sooner substations is about 85 miles, and the longest is about 105 miles.

How much will the line cost?
Because the potential routes vary greatly in length, a narrow cost estimate is not available, but generally Westar Energy’s portion of the line will cost between $40 million and $50 million.

Who will pay for the line?
The cost of the line will be recovered through transmission rates charged to utilities that use the line. These costs are usually passed on to utility customers. This means that Westar customers will bear a portion of the costs as will the customers of other utilities that benefit from the line. In Kansas, utilities are allowed to itemize this charge on a customer’s bill.

Why not upgrade the existing lines?
The transmission needs in the area are sufficient to require maintaining the existing lines in addition to the proposed line. Where the route of the new line coincides with existing lines, we will likely put both lines on a single set of poles to minimize the footprint of the lines. In some areas, the existing structures already carry two sets of lines, and the new line will have to be built on a new set of structures.

Could the line originate from a substation other than Rose Hill?
The Rose Hill and Sooner substations were selected because they have the available capacity, support the voltage needed for the line and are in the area where improvements are needed.

Will a new substation be built? Will you move the substation?
The existing Rose Hill and Sooner substations will be used and will remain in their current locations.

How long will the line remain in place?
The life of transmission lines is typically very long. Lines that were built in the 1930s are still in use today. In some cases, original equipment is still in operation, but in other cases, the lines have been rebuilt.

What is the timeline for the project? Around mid-November a preferred route will be selected, and landowners will be notified. About this same time, Westar Energy will apply to the Kansas Corporation Commission for permission to build the line and submit its selected route. The Commission has 120 days to issue its order in response to the application, so the Commission's order is expected in early 2008. In late 2008 or early 2009, Westar Energy will begin working with landowners to acquire the necessary easements. Construction will follow. The project is expected to be complete and the line in service by late 2010 or early 2011.

Will the selected route be shared for comments before it is approved?
When a route is selected, we will notify property owners who were originally notified about the project to let them know the selected route and file our application with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC). Affected property owners will also be notified of the public hearing the KCC will conduct and can provide written and/or oral comments at the hearing. The KCC will also accept written comments by mail and email during the comment period.


Procedure

Will there be another meeting after a route is selected?
As part of its formal transmission line siting process, the Kansas Corporation Commission will conduct a public hearing. Landowners along the selected route will be notified by certified mail of the time and location of the hearing. Notice of the meeting will also be published in area newspapers.

How can we make sure our voice is heard in the process?
The KCC will conduct a public hearing and accept written and oral public comments as part of its proceedings. Announcement of the hearing and public comment period will be made through letters to affected landowners and publication in local newspapers.


Design and Construction

What will the structures look like?
Several types of poles may be used depending on the characteristics of the land along the selected route. The exact types of structures that will be used have not been determined at this time, but some of the more commonly used poles are described here. Corner structures typically are large solid round steel poles. Similar structures can be used along straight spans of line. It is also common to use two wood poles connected near the top with wood and steel when the line follows a straight line. The wood poles are about 27 feet apart and between 80 and 140 feet tall. There is typically about 600 to 1200 feet between structures.

Can the lines be buried?
Transmission lines can be buried, but it is very expensive. Additionally, if underground lines fail the time needed to locate the failure and make repairs is significantly longer. Underground facilities can be cost-prohibitive to upgrade in the future.

If you follow an existing line, will there be two sets of poles?
Not in most cases. When possible, the existing line and the new line would be placed on the same set of poles.

What kind of access to land is needed for construction?
Trucks will need to enter the area to prepare the easement, dig holes, set poles and string the line.

What kind of access to land is needed to maintain the line?
Trucks will need to enter the area to keep trees cleared from the easement area and to make repairs to or replace the lines and supporting structures.

If my property is damaged during construction or maintenance, what will Westar do?
Westar will repair any damage caused by its employees or contractors during construction or maintenance of the line.


Route Selection

How were the proposed routes determined?
Engineers drove throughout the study area; reviewed topographic maps, aerial photographs and local planning and zoning documents; and visited with local, state and federal agencies to identify potential routes. The team then identified several routes that connected the Rose Hill and Sooner substations and were economical to build while attempting to minimize the effect on people and natural resources in the area.

How will the route be selected?
At the open houses, attendees were asked to complete questionnaires. One section asked attendees to rate on a 5-point scale the importance of many factors that are considered when siting a transmission line. The information from these surveys will be entered into a database that will assign a score to each of the routes. Westar Energy and Burns and McDonnell engineers will look at the routes that earned the top scores and evaluate them further.

What factors are considered in siting a line?
Factors listed on the survey included proximity to homes, to businesses, to public facilities and to farming and ranching operations, following roads or existing transmission lines and minimizing affect on wetlands.

Does Westar have a preferred route?
Westar has not narrowed the number of routes being considered. The purpose of the open houses conducted in June was to gain landowner input in identifying routes that merited consideration.

How will landowners be notified when a route is selected?
When a route is selected, all landowners who were originally notified of the project will receive a letter and a map of the selected route. About this same time, Westar Energy will make its filing to the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) requesting permission to build the line and indicating its selected route. As part of the KCC proceeding, landowners will be notified by certified mail when the formal public hearing in the case is scheduled.

Why not just follow the existing lines?
Some of the proposed routes follow existing lines, and following existing routes is among the factors to be considered in route selection. In some cases, many homes have been built in these areas since those lines were constructed. Also, when storms come, having all the lines on one set of structures increases the risk of losing electric service to a larger number of people or for a longer period of time.

Why not build the line in the least populated area?
Maximizing the distance from homes and businesses is among the factors to be considered, but this has to be balanced against other factors such as minimizing the length and cost of the line.

Why cut diagonally across land?
Many factors are used to develop the potential routes, including avoiding homes and controlling costs. A line that cuts diagonally through rural land avoids homes and reduces length, saving money.


Easement

What easement is required?
The exact easement requirements may vary depending on the type of structures used. In nearly all cases, a 150-foot (75 feet on each side of the structure’s center line) easement will be needed.

Why is 150 feet needed?
A width of 150 feet allows safe operation of the line. Heat and the amount of electricity passing through a line may lead to the lines sagging as much as 20 feet and wind may also stretch the lines. A 150-foot easement provides adequate clearance for these changes and complies with electric safety codes and industry standards for a 345 kV line.

If I already have an easement on my land, how will it change?
If Westar Energy already holds an easement on your property, it will be updated to reflect the requirements of this line.

How is easement acquired?
In late 2008 or early 2009, Westar Energy will begin working with landowners to acquire the necessary easements. A representative from Westar Energy’s real estate services staff will contact landowners from whom easement rights are needed.

How is compensation for easement determined?
Compensation for easement will be negotiated based on the amount of property on which an easement is needed and the market value of the property.

Will you condemn property?
Westar Energy prefers to negotiate easement with landowners. If an agreement can’t be reached, Westar can pursue condemnation to acquire the easement.

Will vegetation within the easement be removed? Will it be allowed to re-grow?
All trees and brush will be removed from the easement to provide access to build and maintain the line. The North American Electric Reliability Corp. establishes the line-clearance standards for the U.S. transmission system. We are required to maintain the easement free of encroaching vegetation that may interfere with the line's operation at full capacity. Additionally, we are required to selectively remove and/or prune tall trees located off the easement that may present a hazard to the transmission line. Utilities failing to maintain required clearance may face substantial fines. These practices are necessary for safety and reliability. If a tree is near the line and someone climbs the tree bringing a branch into contact with the line, he or she could be seriously injured or killed.


Land Use

How will this limit how I use my land? Will I still be able to hunt on my land?
The landowner retains full right to use the land within the easement in any way that does not interfere with or endanger the transmission lines provided that no improvements or buildings are constructed within the easement without prior written permission from Westar Energy.

If the land is leased for gas or oil wells, will that be affected?
In most cases you will be able to continue to use the land as you currently do. Equipment that requires significant overhead clearance cannot be used within the easement.

What effect will the line have on horses and livestock?
Land can continue to be used for horse and livestock operations. Some farmers and ranchers have expressed concern about stray voltage, which is largely associated with lower-voltage distribution lines. That issue is discussed in more detail under Health and Safety.


Health and Safety

Information regarding electric and magnetic fields is summarized from a publication from the National Institute of Health.

What are electric and magnetic fields (EMFs)?
Electric and magnetic fields are invisible lines of force that surround any electrical device. Power lines, electrical wiring and electrical equipment, as well as many other things, produce EMF. Electric fields are produced by voltage. Magnetic fields result from the flow of current through the wires. EMFs associated with electricity have extremely low frequency, 60 hertz in North America. Volumes of information about EMF research is available through the National Institute of Health’s EMF RAPID web site at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/emfrapid/home.htm

How has EMF safety been studied?
EMF exposure has been the subject of studies for more than 30 years. Worldwide a variety of studies have been conducted to determine the potential health effects of EMF exposure. Studies include laboratory and clinical studies and epidemiology, which is to study a group of people that has experienced exposure and see if their risk of disease is different than people who have not.

What are the results of EMF studies?
Studies to determine possible links between EMFs and childhood leukemia have been inconclusive. Recent studies show no association between adult or childhood cancer. Previous, less comprehensive studies had suggested such a link may exist. Because the studies have provided inconclusive results, Westar Energy practices “prudent avoidance,” which means we maintain a minimum distance of 50 feet between transmission facilities and dwellings wherever possible.

What will the approximate strength of the fields be on the ground below the line? Seventy-five feet away?
Mark F. Doljac, an engineer for the Kansas Corporation Commission, offered this testimony regarding a similarly sized line that is to be built from Wichita to Reno County to Salina:

"[…] 75 feet from the centerline of the route, which is the edge of the [right of way] the maximum magnetic field intensity during operation will be no greater than 21 milligauss (mG) at the forecasted 2012 summer peak demand, and no greater than 124 mG if the lines are operated at maximum rated current. By comparison, 20 mG is the magnetic field intensity for a typical electric blanket at a distance of 2 inches, a dishwasher or clothes washer at 6 inches, an electric shaver or copy machine at a distance of 1 foot and an electric can opener at 2 feet. Typical appliances with magnetic field intensities equal to or greater than 100 mG are electric shavers, mixers and portable heaters at a distance of 6 inches (100 mG), electric drills at 1 foot (150 mG), microwave ovens, electric pencil sharpeners and power saws at 6 inches (200 mG), and hair dryers and vacuum cleaners at 6 inches (300 mG). The magnetic field intensity decreases as the distance from the line increases. […]"

"[…] the maximum electric field intensity during operation will be no greater than 1.8 kilovolts per meter (kV/m) at 75 feet from the center of the line. Beyond the edge of the [right of way], the electric field intensity also decreases with increasing distance from the line."

Mr. Doljac’s full testimony is available at http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/scan/200703/20070315155329.pdf

Will the line affect pacemakers?
If you wear a pacemaker, you should consult the manufacturer for specific guidelines. Under certain circumstances, EMFs can interfere with a pacemaker’s ability to sense normal electrical activity in the heart. Most commonly, the electronic circuitry in the pacemaker might detect the presence of interference and direct the pacemaker to operate in a regular, life-preserving mode. This is not considered hazardous. Dual-chamber pacemakers have at times paced inappropriately before reversing to the life-preserving mode.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists has recommended that at the frequency a transmission line operates, exposure be limited to 1,000 mG for magnetic fields and 1 kV/m for electric fields.

What is stray voltage?
Stray voltage is typically the result of wiring within a farm or the connection to the local electric distribution system. If stray voltage problems occur, they are best addressed with the electric utility providing service or an electrician.

Do the lines create a fire hazard?
In normal operation, the lines do not create a fire hazard. By keeping vegetation clear of the lines, Westar maintains their safety and reliability. If a storm, wind or other force knocks a line down, it is designed to de-energize. To ensure safety, we advise people to never approach a downed power line. Instead they should report it immediately.

Are metal buildings safe near the line?
The line will be built to meet or exceed national electric safety standards. Induced voltage in a building is rare. As long as metal buildings are outside the easement and are properly grounded, the transmission line should have no effect. If you have questions regarding proper grounding, contact an electrician.

I already have a natural gas pipeline nearby. Is it safe to have both?
No safety hazards are created by the presence of the natural gas pipeline and transmission line.

Can structures be marked for aircraft safety?
Appropriate safety measures will be taken if airstrips are in proximity to the selected route.


Benefits

Will it affect the ability to develop wind power in the area?
The ability to move more electricity to and from the area may make it more attractive to wind farm development.

What benefits will the project have locally?
Increased ability to bring electricity into the area can make it easier to attract businesses to the area because they will have an adequate and reliable supply of electricity. It also provides local municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives with better access to the energy markets, which can enable them to purchase less expensive power through the national transmission grid.

I am not a Westar Energy customer. Will I benefit from the line?
The area served by the line has the potential to benefit from better access to electricity overall. Economic development can be supported by the availability of affordable, reliable energy. Customers of other utilities and cooperatives could benefit from the potential access to lower cost energy on the national power grid.


Property values and development

How do the lines affect property values?
A summary of a report by the Electric Power Research Institute says, “A review of recent studies reveals that results are mixed: in some cases small decreases in property values are associated with proximity to a transmission line; in other cases there are no changes in property values; and in some cases there are even increases in property values.” Many factors affect property values such as proximity to and quality of schools, quality of construction, age of the home and amenities.

How do the lines affect residential and commercial development?
Residential and commercial development near transmission lines is common. If an area had limited access to electricity to support growth before a line was constructed, addition of a transmission line can spur growth.


Miscellaneous

Will the line interfere with electronics?
Some interference may occur with a 345 kV transmission line. This is one reason that we strive to maintain a distance of at least 50 feet between the line and residences.

What about erosion caused by the line?
Erosion would be most likely to occur during construction of the line because of the heavy equipment involved. We do our best to avoid wet areas and take appropriate corrective steps if bare ground is left, which may result in significant erosion.

How will wildlife habitat be affected?
Transmission lines may affect wildlife in direct or indirect ways. Direct effects include potential collisions with migratory birds if located in a corridor with extensive movements or providing perches for birds of prey. Indirect effects center around vegetation changes. Removal of a tree line in an open area degrades cover and can change wildlife movement in the vicinity. Clearing trees from a right of way in a forested region creates more “edge” habitat, which can negatively affect nesting for some bird species but creates habitat for many wildlife, including quail, pheasant, turkey and deer.


These questions and answers pertain to the portion of the line that Westar Energy is building, from the Rose Hill Substation to the Kansas-Oklahoma border. Inquiries about the line from the state line to the Sooner Substation should be directed to Clay Scott, lead project manager, system expansion, OG&E Electric Services, at 405-553-5927 or scottmc@oge.com.