ITC Great Plains Joins Sunflower as Development Begins on Holcomb–Sidney Line
February 4, 2026 | Great Plains
ITC Great Plains is collaborating with Sunflower Electric Power Corporation on a new 345-kV line transmission designed to strengthen grid reliability and resiliency across the central United States. The Southwest Power Pool (SPP), through its 2024 Integrated Transmission Plan, identified the need for the project following recent extreme winter events—including Winter Storm Uri (2021) and Winter Storm Elliott (2022)—that exposed vulnerabilities in the regional grid.
To address these challenges, SPP directed Sunflower and participating utilities, including ITC Great Plains, to develop an approximately 360‑mile 345‑kV line extending from Holcomb, Kansas, to Sidney, Nebraska. The project is intended to enhance system performance during severe weather, increase transmission capacity, and support long‑term regional energy needs. The overall ownership of the line will be split 49/51 between ITC Great Plains and Sunflower.
As co-owner, ITC Great Plains will work closely with Sunflower throughout the planning and construction process. Sunflower will construct roughly 180 miles of the line within Kansas, from Holcomb to the Kansas–Colorado state line near the South Fork Republican River. This collaborative approach reflects the shared commitment of both utilities to building a stronger, more resilient transmission network for the region.
“This project represents a major investment in the future of western Kansas,”said Patrick Woods, President of ITC Great Plains. “By strengthening the regional transmission system, we’re helping ensure that families, farms, and businesses across our footprint have the reliable energy infrastructure they need to thrive during extreme weather and well into the future.
Sunflower has already begun public outreach with meetings for local leaders and elected officials and will follow with open houses in February for landowners and community stakeholders. These sessions will offer opportunities to learn about the project, ask questions, and share input. ITC Great Plains will also be in attendance for each open house.
Final route development is expected to be completed in mid‑2026. Once the proposed route is finalized, it will be submitted to the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) for review, a process that typically takes about 180 days. Land acquisition is planned to begin in 2027, with construction anticipated to start in the fall of that year.
ITC Great Plains is proud to support this critical regional investment and remains committed to working with partners, communities, and landowners to deliver transmission solutions that meet today’s reliability needs while preparing the grid for tomorrow’s challenges.