(Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall)
TOPEKA, Kan., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ITC Great Plains, LLC completed the purchase of two electric transmission substations as part of its ongoing commitment to help Kansas address long-term energy challenges by pursuing a growth strategy that will ultimately result in ownership and operation of a state-of-the-art transmission system across the region. ITC Great Plains is a subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp. .
ITC Great Plains has acquired and will now operate the 138-kilovolt (kV) Flat Ridge Substation located in Barber County, Kan., near the Flat Ridge Wind Farm development and the 230-kV Elm Creek Substation located in Cloud County, Kan., near the Meridian Way Wind Farm development. Both substations were purchased from Mid-Kansas Electric Company LLC (Mid-Kansas).
The acquisition received approval from the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) and allows ITC Great Plains to participate in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) as a transmission owner. SPP is the regional transmission organization that oversees the electric transmission grid and wholesale power markets in eight southwestern states, including Kansas.
This acquisition, along with future ITC Great Plains projects, will address significant energy challenges in Kansas, including the lack of transmission capacity between the western and eastern areas of the state and the absence of an energy grid capable of supporting significant development of wind energy.
"This marks a significant milestone in our efforts not only to develop and operate a 21st Century electric grid, but also to help address ongoing energy issues in Kansas," said Carl Huslig, president, ITC Great Plains. "Mid-Kansas has been supportive throughout this process, and we thank the KCC for acting on this matter. ITC Great Plains is well positioned to continue developing transmission solutions for the state that facilitate renewable energy and address current system capacity constraints."
While the Flat Ridge and Elm Creek substations are the first physical system assets owned by ITC in Kansas, the company continues to pursue an ambitious growth strategy to develop significant transmission assets in SPP, including Kansas, for the benefit of the region.
ITC Great Plains has secured a number of significant industry milestones during the past six months in connection with its Kansas operations. In March, ITC Great Plains received a favorable order from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that approved certain incentives for ITC Great Plains' two principal Kansas projects, the V-Plan and the KETA Project, as well as a rate tariff and other incentives for all transmission assets owned or built by ITC Great Plains in SPP.
