On June 1, 2016 the City of Anthony began taking power from the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency. Anthony chose KMEA as their power provider prior to the expiration of their previous power contract. As part of their power supply plan Anthony wanted to be connected to a soon to be constructed high voltage transmission line that was to run just to the east of the City.
KMEA teamed with Anthony and Mid-States Energy Works to provide project management and general contracting services to construct a new substation and approximately 4.25 miles of transmission line to connect to the existing city system. The project planning began in September of 2016 with the project being complete this summer. Anthony began taking power from their new line on July 1st. Due in part to a couple of hurricane events the project was delayed for a few weeks and prices of some of the equipment were a bit more than expected. In the end the project came in under budget and in time to meet the peak demand of the summer weather.
The City participated in every step of the project including planning, land and right-of-way procurement, labor, materials and equipment, to help control the cost of the project. The new interconnection will provide the City with a more reliable system that is less susceptible to being damaged during a storm. It also allows Anthony to import more electricity to meet the needs of electric utility customers. The City commission as well as the City administrator provided a great deal of guidance and support throughout the project.
