NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest on Oct. 2 announced the successful energization of the Wolf Creek-Blackberry 345-kilovolt transmission line, completing the 92-mile project within budget and five months ahead of the required in-service date
The transmission line runs from the Wolf Creek substation in Coffey County, Kan., to the Blackberry substation in Jasper County, Mo.
The Southwest Power Pool, the regional transmission organization, awarded the project to NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest in 2021.
NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest said the Wolf Creek-Blackberry transmission line directly addresses congestion issues.
By increasing capacity and operational flexibility, the line supports more reliable service. Over its 40-year lifespan, the project will remove bottlenecks on the electrical grid unlocking more than $350 million in customer savings over the life of the project, it said.
"In addition, the project will deliver $28.2 million in tax revenue to the counties. As determined by SPP studies and confirmed by the Kansas Corporation Commission, the line will benefit Kansas and Missouri customers by lowering overall energy costs, removing inefficiencies, relieving transmission congestion and improving the reliability of the transmission system," the company said.
This is the second of three major transmission lines awarded to NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest by SPP.
The company said it remains committed to completing its projects with speed and service to the local communities.
NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Transmission LLC, a competitive transmission company.
