Energy plan jolts Emporia families

Westar wants to expand a substation in Emporia to accommodate Hill's, but neighbors are alarmed

EMPORIA — Joanne Evans is leery of washing dishes in the kitchen of her eastside home.

There is reason to cast a wary eye out the window while standing at the sink overlooking a Westar Energy substation. The kitchen appears to be a magnet for stray voltage suspected of escaping from the towering web of steel framing, wire and transformers that casts a shadow over Evans' neighborhood.

Members of her family say they have endured shocks since the home was bought in 2004 — a purchasing decision made by the Evanses after the Topeka utility gave a clean bill of health to a substation that went into operation during the Great Depression.

 

Click here to read the full article by Tim Carpenter, The Capital-Journal.