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KS — Power Infrastructure Updated January 2026

Kansas

Power generation, transmission, storage, PPAs, and interconnection topics relevant to data center power supply in Kansas.

SPP Natural Gas Nuclear Solar Wind Storage Data Center PPAs Queue Bottlenecks Transmission Constraints

Overview

Kansas is in the middle of a major generation and transmission buildout driven by load growth across the SPP (Southwest Power Pool) region. Evergy is planning two large combined-cycle gas plants and thousands of megawatts of renewable capacity over the next decade, while SPP has approved $8.6 billion in regional transmission upgrades. Meta has already locked in 650 MW of solar PPAs in the Kansas/Texas corridor, signaling tech sector demand for clean power in the region.

Generation Projects

Natural Gas

Evergy is building out firm, dispatchable capacity to meet accelerating demand.

  • Evergy 705 MW combined-cycle plants: Two new combined-cycle natural gas plants are planned for Kansas, with in-service dates in 2029 and 2030.[1]
  • Evergy long-term gas plan: Evergy’s 2024 integrated resource plan (IRP) — a utility’s long-term plan for meeting demand — projects 6,000 MW of firm, dispatchable generation over 20 years, including 2,500 MW of new hydrogen-capable gas in 2029–2032 across its Kansas and Missouri service area.[2]

Nuclear

Kansas has one operating nuclear reactor, with no new construction announced.

  • Wolf Creek: The state’s only operating nuclear plant continues to provide baseload power. No expansion or new builds were identified.[3]

Solar

Solar is expanding rapidly under renewable mandates and tech sector demand.

  • Lambs Draw Solar: Doral Renewables signed a PPA (power purchase agreement) — a long-term contract to buy electricity — for a 270 MW solar project in Decatur County.[4]
  • Evergy solar pipeline: Evergy’s 2024 IRP includes 600 MW of solar in 2027 and 450 MW in 2028 across its Kansas/Missouri footprint.[2]

Wind

Wind additions are part of Evergy’s broader renewable expansion plan.

  • Evergy renewables target: Evergy projects 5,100 MW of renewable additions (wind and solar) over 20 years, driven by load growth and SPP capacity requirements. Specific Kansas wind projects are not yet named.[2]

Transmission and Grid

SPP and Evergy are building major new high-voltage transmission to move power across the region.

  • Wolf Creek–Blackberry 345 kV line: NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest completed this 92-mile line from Coffey County, Kansas, to Jasper County, Missouri, in October 2025. SPP awarded the project in 2021.[5]
  • Evergy 133-mile 345 kV line: The Kansas Corporation Commission is reviewing Evergy’s application to build a 133-mile, 345 kV line from the Buffalo Flats Substation (near Garden Plain) to the Delaware Substation, crossing four counties.[6]
  • SPP regional plan: SPP’s 2025 Integrated Transmission Plan includes $8.6 billion in high-voltage projects across its 14-state footprint, including Kansas, to address load growth and reliability needs.[7]

Battery Storage

Kansas has several large battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in development.

  • Tallgrass Prairie Energy Center: Concurrent LLC is planning a 200 MW / 800 MWh transmission-level BESS in Halstead, Kansas, with interconnection submitted to SPP.[8]
  • Great Plains Energy Storage: This project proposes a 300 MW / 1,200 MWh BESS in Labette County, tied to Evergy transmission infrastructure.[9]

Data Center Power Agreements

Meta has secured major solar PPAs in the SPP market, including Kansas.

  • Meta + AES 650 MW solar PPAs: AES announced two long-term PPAs totaling 650 MW of solar projects in the SPP market to support Meta’s data centers, with Kansas included in the portfolio.[10]
  • Doral Lambs Draw PPA: Doral’s 270 MW Kansas solar project reached a PPA, adding contracted supply to the Kansas/SPP market, though the buyer is not publicly disclosed.[4]

Interconnection Queue

SPP’s queue is large and backlogged, with hundreds of projects waiting on study results.

  • Kansas queue size: SPP’s active generator interconnection listing (updated January 7, 2026) shows 199 active Kansas requests totaling ~43.1 GW of capacity. About 81 projects (~19.9 GW) are still in DISIS (definitive interconnection system impact study) or facility study phases, indicating a large pipeline waiting on study results and upgrades.[11]
  • Process constraints: SPP uses clustered studies and multi-phase review, which can extend timelines as large volumes of requests enter the queue.[11]

What to Watch

  • Evergy’s 133-mile 345 kV line approval: The Kansas Corporation Commission’s decision on Evergy’s Buffalo Flats–Delaware line will determine whether new transmission can keep pace with generation additions.
  • Meta’s solar project locations: As AES and Meta move forward on 650 MW of solar PPAs, specific site locations and timeline details will clarify Kansas’s role in the tech sector’s clean energy push.
  • SPP queue reform: With over 43 GW in the Kansas queue, SPP’s interconnection process reforms will determine how quickly new generation can come online.

Sources

[1] Evergy, “Evergy announces two new 705 MW high-efficiency natural gas plants,” October 21, 2024, https://newsroom.evergy.com/2024-10-21-Evergy-announces-two-new-705-MW-high-efficiency-natural-gas-plants (accessed January 8, 2026).

[2] Evergy, “Economic growth drives new generation plans as Evergy submits long-term approach for meeting customer electricity demand, maintaining reliability and advancing sustainability,” May 17, 2024, https://newsroom.evergy.com/Economic-growth-drives-new-generation-plans (accessed January 8, 2026).

[3] U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, “Kansas | NRC Facility Locator,” https://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/region-state/kansas.html (accessed January 8, 2026).

[4] Jonathan Gifford, “Doral Renewables signs PPA for 270MW Kansas solar project,” PV Tech, December 17, 2025, https://www.pv-tech.org/doral-renewables-ppa-270mw-kansas-solar-project/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[5] NextEra Energy Transmission Southwest, “Wolf Creek-Blackberry transmission line energized ahead of schedule and on budget,” October 2, 2025, https://newsroom.nexteraenergy.com/2025-10-02-Wolf-Creek-Blackberry-transmission-line-energized-ahead-of-schedule-and-on-budget,-strengthening-the-electric-grid-for-customers-in-Kansas-and-Missouri (accessed January 8, 2026).

[6] Kansas Corporation Commission, “KCC schedules public hearings on Evergy’s application to site 133-mile transmission line,” December 29, 2025, https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/KSCC/bulletins/4013f01 (accessed January 8, 2026).

[7] Southwest Power Pool, “SPP board advances regional transmission plan to keep pace with accelerating growth and ensure grid reliability,” November 5, 2025, https://www.spp.org/news-list/spp-board-advances-regional-transmission-plan-to-keep-pace-with-accelerating-growth-and-ensure-grid-reliability/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[8] Concurrent LLC, “Concurrent plans to develop 200 megawatts of battery storage in Kansas to improve Southwest Power Pool’s grid reliability,” October 16, 2023, https://concurrentllc.com/concurrent-plans-to-develop-200-megawatts-of-battery-storage-in-kansas-to-improve-southwest-power-pools-grid-reliability (accessed January 8, 2026).

[9] Great Plains Energy Storage, “About the Project,” https://www.greatplainsenergystorage.com/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[10] PowerOnline (PR Newswire reprint), “AES And Meta Sign Long-Term PPAs To Deliver 650 MW Of Solar Capacity In Texas And Kansas,” May 2025, https://www.poweronline.com/doc/aes-and-meta-sign-long-term-ppas-to-deliver-mw-of-solar-capacity-in-texas-kansas-0001 (accessed January 8, 2026).

[11] Southwest Power Pool, “Generator Interconnection Active Request Listing (GIActive) and CSV download,” last updated January 7, 2026, https://opsportal.spp.org/Studies/GIActive and https://opsportal.spp.org/Studies/GenerateActiveCSV (accessed January 8, 2026).