A new electricity transmission route stretching from Saline County to Cloud County is approved.

According to Westar Energy, the Kansas Corporation Commission has approved the Summit Creek Route. The route stretches from the Salina area to the Concordia area.

When complete in late 2016, the high-voltage 345-kilovolt transmission line will connect Westar Energy’s Summit Substation, about 5 miles northeast of Assaria to the Elm Creek substation, about 4 miles northwest of Aurora. Westar Energy will construct and own the southern half of the line. ITC Great Plains, in partnership with Mid-Kansas, will construct the northern half of the line in Cloud and Ottawa counties and co-own and operate this section of the line with Mid-Kansas.

Westar proposed a route for the line after conducting an engineering study and meeting with area landowners to discuss potential line routes. During its review of Westar’s filing, the KCC and Westar considered route modifications proposed by affected landowners. Some of those suggestions are reflected in the KCC approved route.

Westar’s costs for this project, which includes improvements to the Summit substation, are estimated at $66 million. The transmission line will benefit the regional electrical grid governed by the Southwest Power Pool, which spans nine states. The project costs will be recovered from customers throughout SPP.