The Oklahoma State Capital

A proposed high-voltage transmission line drew a crowd, including an organized opposition group, to the Logan County Fairgrounds Education Building on Wednesday night, where the project's representatives outlined plans for a new line south of Guthrie.

Project representatives staffed the meeting, greeting attendees at a sign-in table, encouraging them to provide their information before presenting details of the proposed transmission line. The project would involve construction of a new 38-mile, 345-kilovolt transmission line likely supported by steel monopoles—or potentially lattice steel towers—rising more than 110 feet above the surrounding landscape. The line would require a 130-foot-wide permanent easement across predominantly private property.

According to project representatives, the line is designed to connect the Matthewson power facility in Canadian County with the Redbud power plant in eastern Oklahoma County. The project was selected by Southwest Power Pool as part of a broader effort to relieve congestion on existing transmission infrastructure and to improve the movement of electricity generated in western Oklahoma—including renewable energy—around the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and into eastern portions of the metro area..

While the precise route through Logan County has not yet been finalized, planners indicated that the line would pass north of Waterloo and south of Guthrie. Maps displayed at the meeting showed several alternative corridors under consideration. More direct routes through heavily developed Edmond areas are to be avoided in favor of paths through less densely developed portions of southern Logan County.

The project will require acquisition of right-of-way easements from landowners along the selected corridor. While representatives will initially enter into easement acquisition negotiations with property owners, the project would retain the legal ability to pursue eminent domain if voluntary agreements cannot be reached.

The project will be constructed by Transource Energy, which was selected over Oklahoma Gas & Electric for the approximately $72 million project. Transource is a consortium of two major Midwestern electric utilities: American Electric Power and Evergy.

American Electric Power is one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the United States, with a multi-state footprint and extensive experience in bulk transmission infrastructure. Evergy, headquartered in Kansas City, was formed from the merger of Westar Energy and Kansas City Power & Light and serves customers across Kansas and Missouri. Together, the companies bring large-scale transmission expertise and regional operational experience within the Southwest Power Pool territory.

As attendees exited the meeting, they encountered a group of opponents to the project who were also collecting contact information from landowners. Members of the opposition group stated that they were not permitted inside the meeting space and were required to remain outside the building during the event, despite seeking to speak with property owners attending the presentation.

Organizers opposing the transmission line are coordinating opposition through a private Facebook group.

Transource expects to finalize an acquisition path in early 2026.