Midwest Energy, Inc.
Transmission Planning and Expansion
Southwest Power Pool
Sub-Regional Planning – Area 1
Nathan McNeil
Transmission Planning Engineer
Introduction to Midwest system
•
Member-owned cooperative serving 48,000
electric customers in 41 counties of central
and western Kansas.
•
Also serve 41,000 natural gas customers.
•
2008 peak load of 330MW total retail and
wholesale/municipal load.
•
2009 peak of 331MW total load.
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Trans Map – Kansas view
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Transmission/Generation System Overview
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Assets classified as transmission, pursuant to
Attachment AI and as approved by KCC.

230kV: ~ 128 miles

115kV: ~ 457 miles

69kV: ~ 262 miles

34kV: ~ 826 miles
Generation totaling 101MW

Goodman Energy Center: 75MW

Older internal combustion and CTs: 26MW
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Key Load Areas
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Hays area: commercial, oil field, residential; minimal
load growth in most sectors, though oil field load has
grown more significantly.
•
Colby area: Irrigation load has grown rapidly of late due
to conversion from natural gas and diesel; other loads
in the area are steady.
•
Great Bend area: Oil field load is growing, as is
commercial load; irrigation load is showing minimal
growth.
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Recently Completed Projects
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City of Larned – Temporary upgrade

Interconnection limited by transformer size; necessitated
City generate most of the summer.

City has been considering construction of new
interconnection.

Needed additional transformer capacity to avoid running
local generation; built temporary interconnection.
Storm Damage Repair

Over last three years incurred ~$145M in damages from
tornadoes and ice storms. Lots of damage to 34kV facilities,
and some damage to 115 kV as well.
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Large map showing 34kV rebuilds
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Recently Completed Projects
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Replacement of 115/34kV autotransformer at Rice Co.
substation.
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Complete replacement of protective relays at Lyons
115kV and Colby 115kV substations.
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2009 STEP Projects
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Add capacitors at Kinsley and Pawnee – 2011

Intended to address summer season voltage concerns.

Alternate to locating 10MVAR at St. John 115kV sub.
HEC to Huntsville 115 kV Rebuild – 2013

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21.1 miles owned by MIDW, 7.7 miles owned by Westar
Huntsville to St. John 115 kV Rebuild – 2014

26.5 miles
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Other Projects
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City of Ellinwood – 2010

Load is currently served from Rice County 115/34.5 kV
substation. Will be moved to new 69/34.5 kV
substation.

69/34.5 kV transformer delivered. Substation and 34.5
kV line construction underway.
Hadley Range 34.5 kV Line Rebuild – 2010

Improved ROW access and increased line capacity.

Line serves primarily oil field load northeast of Hays.
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Other Projects
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Great Bend to Great Bend North 69kV – 2010

Line already in place; operated normally open.

Breakers have been installed, and relaying is being
finished to allow normally closed operation.

Will help alleviate voltage issues at Hitschmann for
contingencies.

Improves reliability for substations on radial line.
Heizer to Mullergren 115 kV Tie – 2011

Addresses multiple voltage concerns and transformer
loading issues.
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Other Projects
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Spearville – Post Rock (Knoll) – Axtell 345kV

Included in SPP Balanced Portfolio

NTC’s issued to Sunflower, Midwest, and NPPD

ITC Great Plains will construct and own Kansas portion of
the 345 kV line and Post Rock 345/230 kV transformer.

345/230 kV transformer sizing and reactive compensation
studies are complete.

Spearville to Post Rock will be in service by 2012 and Post
Rock to Axtell by 2013.
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Map showing 345 line
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Projects Under Consideration
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South Hays – Hays Plant – Vine 115kV

May be necessary to avert overloads for loss of either
the Knoll 230/115kV XFMR, or the South Hays-Knoll
230kV line.

Could be part of a larger project to upgrade
distribution in southern part of Hays, requiring re-route
of transmission line.
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Detail map of Hays transmission
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Projects Under Consideration
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St. John/Kinsley area

Capacitors planned at Pawnee and Kinsley for voltage
support on long radial 115 kV line as short-term solution.

Multiple looping alternatives being considered for long-term
support to the area.

Requires significant additional study. Estimated cost $6M $7M+, depending on solution deemed most appropriate and
amount of rebuild required.
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Projects Under Consideration
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Hitschmann area

Considering looping Hitschmann 69kV down to North
Ellinwood. This solves the voltage issue at Hitschmann for
the loss of the Heizer-Great Bend North 69kV line.

Requires construction of ~20 miles of 69kV terminating at
North Ellinwood.

This would also loop the system for customers served from
Hitschmann, Bunker Hill and Susank substations on a long
radial 69kV line.
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Map of 69kv system
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Projects Under Consideration
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Rebuild/relocate Rice Co. Substation

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Substation prone to flooding. At a minimum, need to
replace control house to keep out of flood water.
Would also require modification of substation
equipment to increase elevation above grade. Relays
need to be replaced and updated. Considering
relocation of substation.
City of Larned

Work with City on construction of new permanent
interconnection.
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System Planning - General
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As a transmission-owning member of SPP, we
participate in the SPP regional planning processes,
including model development cycles, STEP processes,
etc.
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Submit planning data to SPP as required, including
EIA411 data for loads and resources.
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Also conduct internal studies of local area issues.
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Combined distribution and transmission long range
plan in progress.
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Load & Resource Forecasting
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We renew load forecasts for our retail load and firm
wholesale loads annually.
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Load growth has been modest (approximately 0.7%)
annual growth in peak load.
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Midwest has traditionally purchased most of its energy
resources. Construction of new plant has changed
that.
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System Modeling
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Midwest provides data to SPP and/or updates existing
data through MOD:

Resources and transactions

Transmission topology, ratings, transformers, devices, etc.

Generation and Loads
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Loads have been separated into owner components for
municipals, other utility deliveries, etc.
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Reviewing and updating system data, particularly for
short circuit modeling
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System Planning Contacts
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New Interconnections:
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Wholesale Services:
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System Modeling
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Transmission Planning
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Engineering & Design
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Bill Dowling
785-625-1432
bdowling@mwenergy.com
Nathan McNeil
785-650-2551
nmcneil@mwenergy.com
Ray Harold
785-650-2552
rharold@mwenergy.com
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Questions?
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