Bill > HB2148

This bill prohibits the Kansas State Corporation Commission from authorizing electric public utilities to obtain transmission line siting permits for proposed electric transmission lines located within areas designated by the U.S. Department of Energy as "national interest electric transmission corridors" (NIETCs). The bill generally prevents electric utilities from using eminent domain powers to construct transmission lines in these corridors, with one key exception: if a transmission line was already approved by the State Corporation Commission before the area was designated as an NIETC, the utility can still use eminent domain. The legislation defines electric transmission lines according to existing Kansas statutes and clarifies that a national interest electric transmission corridor is any territory designated as such by the U.S. Department of Energy under Section 216(a)(2) of the Federal Power Act. By restricting transmission line development in these designated corridors, the bill aims to limit the ability of electric utilities to acquire land and build infrastructure in areas the federal government has identified as strategically important for electrical transmission, potentially protecting local landowners' property rights and giving more local control over large-scale energy infrastructure projects.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2148/