In 2021, Kansas was ranked among the top five states in total wind energy generation, with the third-largest share of electricity generated from wind power, following closely behind Iowa and South Dakota. In early 2022, the state had nearly 8,250 megawatts of installed wind generating capacity.

Wind turbines have certain safety requirements in place to ensure they can be seen at night. One requirement is the installation of red lights on turbine blades, which present as circulating red dots in the horizon.

As the number of wind turbines increase, so do the number of red lights visible in the night sky. New technologies have arisen to mitigate potential lighting concerns, such as Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems (ADLS).

ADLS

Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems, sometimes referred to as Aviation Detection Lighting Systems, are radar-based systems that prevent wind turbine lights from turning on unless an aircraft is approaching or descending toward a wind facility. With ADLS, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires lighting to be activated and flashing if an aircraft is at or below 1,000 feet above the tallest wind turbine and is approaching a 3-mile perimeter around the facility.

FAA Approval/Standards

The FAA has issued guidance to wind developers to ensure aviation and wildlife safety regarding turbine lighting and visibility in its Advisory Circular AC/7460-1M titled, “Obstruction Marking and Lighting” (https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.current/documentnumber/70_7460-1) dated effective November 16, 2020.

The Circular includes standards for turbine paint for all turbines and light color and strobe specifications for turbines at or greater than 500 feet above ground level. All vendors offering light mitigating technologies must be certified by the FAA, and every project requesting such technology must submit a request to the FAA, which evaluates each request on a turbine-by-turbine basis.

The FAA may deny the request based on factors such as proximity to military training areas, airports, or low-altitude flight routes.

As of October 2022, ADLS is the only FAA approved light mitigating technology available to wind projects.

Light Mitigating Technology in Other States

Multiple states have instituted light mitigation requirements for wind turbines in recent years, among them are Colorado and North Dakota.

Colorado

Colorado’s SB 22-110, effective August 10, 2022, applies prospectively and requires new wind-powered energy generation facilities to install light mitigating technology if vertical construction of the first turbine in the facility began on or after April 1, 2022. The bill defined technology as FAA-approved sensor-based systems that are designed to detect approaching aircraft and that deactivate when it is safe to do so.

North Dakota

North Dakota’s Public Service Commission established rules requiring turbines constructed after June 5, 2016, to have light mitigating technology. Enacted legislation soon followed in 2017 requiring every wind energy conversion facility that had been issued a certificate of site compatibility by the Commission before June 5, 2016, to be equipped with a functioning light mitigating technology system that complies with Commission rules by December 31, 2021.

Emerging Technologies

Though ADLS is the only FAA-approved light mitigating technology currently available, new technologies may soon be used more widely. Companies have emerged offering alternative technology that dims FAA-approved obstruction lighting fixtures when the prevailing visibility conditions are favorable, returning the lights to full intensity when visibility conditions lessen or deteriorate.

It is unclear whether or when this type of technology will be approved by the FAA, and, if approval is received, whether FAA standards will need to be amended to accommodate for the addition.

Education, precision agriculture, and health care are just a few of the possibilities broadband internet enables, and a lack of connectivity can impact the economic well-being of individuals across the country.

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in 2021, 23.36 percent of rural residents lacked fixed broadband with download speeds of 25 megabits per second (mbps) and upload speeds of 3 mbps (25/3) and fourth generation wireless networks (4g) with advertised median speeds of 10/3.

Further, the FCC has acknowledged that past maps are not as granular and accurate as policymakers would like. This means the published statistics on availability could be very different and could potentially impact funding for expansion of broadband.

Broadband Maps

The current broadband availability map is created using FCC Form 477 data. This form is used to collect information on the deployment of broadband and telephone services from service providers at a census block level. If a single home in a census block is reported as being served, then the entire census block will appear as though it was served in some capacity.

The map above shows the number of fixed residential broadband providers (including cable, fiber, fixed wireless, satellite, and ADSL) in a given area of the state. It indicates that over 99.0 percent of the state is served by 3 or more providers offering speeds of at least 25/3.

In 2018, Connected Nation, a nonprofit organization, engaged with the Information Network of Kansas to develop a statewide broadband map. The data collected was more granular than FCC form 477 data, but had other issues, which include:

10 providers refused to participate;
6 providers were non-responsive; and
2 providers submitted granular data for only 1 of the services they offered.

The map is shown here:

At the time, Kansas had 88 broadband providers, and 70 submitted granular/location level data. In instances where a provider did not participate, form 477 data was used. The Connected Nation data shows 17.0 percent of Kansans do not have access to broadband internet with speeds of at least 25/3 when only relying on the provided granular data. If the supplemented Form 477 data is included, this number drops to 3.4 percent.

Changes to Federal Data Collection

In June 2022, the FCC began collecting information from broadband providers about the precise locations where their services are provided. The window to collect this more granular data closed on September 2, 2022.

On September 12, 2022, the FCC opened up a challenge period for states, tribal governments, and local governments to review the data collected. The FCC released pre-production drafts of the new National Broadband Map on November 18, 2022. The Map uses more granular, specific location-level information about broadband service.

The release of this pre-production map also starts the public challenge period. The FCC has encouraged the public to test and submit ISP speeds using the updated FCC Speed Test App.

The pre-production residential services map of Kansas indicates the state is 100.0 percent covered by providers with an advertised speed of at 25/3 or greater. If only examining providers using terrestrial technology (excludes satellite and cellular technology, but includes fixed wireless), the percentage of the state covered by 25/3 or greater is 98.8 percent (see map below). The Office of Broadband Development (Office), within the Kansas Department of Commerce has expressed concerns of the inadequacy of the pre-production map, and noted it overestimates available service.

What This Means for Broadband in Kansas

More accurate maps could help give a better idea where grant funding should be utilized to incentivize the build out broadband infrastructure. These incentives are relevant to businesses considering service in less dense areas, where it is challenging to recover the cost of establishing the service.

Electric Vehicle Adoption and Industry Growth

Globally, the automotive industry plans to invest $330 billion in electrification by 2023 and offer up to 130 electrified vehicle models in the United States. Nationally, hybrid vehicle sales in 2021 comprised 5.4 percent of total sales, and Zero Emission Vehicles, such as plug-in hybrids, and fuel cells, represented 4.1 percent.

Historically, successful new technologies, like television, cellphones, and LED light bulbs, were slow to sell until they reached the 5.0 percent adoption rate, at which point adoption began to occur at a much higher rate as demand become unpredictable.

The increasing demand for electric vehicles could also lead to a demand for more charging stations to help power these vehicles and alleviate driver “range anxiety,” as they would be capable of driving further without fear of running out of power for the vehicle.

As of 2022, nearly 6,763 electric/hybrid vehicles are registered in Kansas. This is less than 1.0 percent of vehicles registered in the state. Kansas will play a role in the expansion of charging station infrastructure in order to facilitate interstate travel and commerce.

Charging Station Expansion and Funding

It is estimated that $39.0 billion in investments are needed by 2030 for public charging infrastructure to meet the accompanying demand for electric vehicles in the United States.

As of 2022, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), an association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies, has invested nearly $3.7 billion in programs and projects to accelerate the electronic vehicle (EV) charging station infrastructure implementation process. The EEI estimates nearly 140,000 EV fast- charging stations will be needed to accommodate the projected 26 million EVs that are expected to be on U.S. roads by 2030.

In December 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Energy created a new department called the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Office), which will support and ensure production of electric vehicle charging networks nationwide.

In February 2022, the Office announced that $5.0 billion will be made available for electric vehicle charging under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which was established in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act.

As of September 27, 2022, all 50 states including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have been approved to move forward with the construction of EV fast-charging stations covering approximately 75,000 miles of highway across the country.

The NEVI Formula funding can also be used for other projects that are directly related to charging of a vehicle, such as:

• Upgrade of existing and construction of new EV charging infrastructure;
• Operation and upkeep costs of EV charging stations;
• Installation of on-site electrical service equipment;
• Community and stakeholder engagement;
• Workforce development;
• EV charging station signage;
• Data sharing activities; and
• Mapping analysis.

Kansas EV Charging Programs and Funding

On September 16, 2022, the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Charge Up Kansas NEVI plan was approved and is set to receive $39.5 million over the course of the next five years. This program will include direct current fast chargers as well as EV charging corridors.

In Kansas, the corridors included will reside along I-70, I-35, I-135, U.S. 400 and U.S. 81 from I-70 north to the Nebraska state line.

When completed, approximately 1,600 miles of Kansas interstates and highways will have fast charging stations available for public use.