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Flint Hills EV readiness plan: staff says region can accommodate growth but upgrades, codes and education are needed
Summary
The Flint Hills MPO presented an electric vehicle readiness plan noting the region currently has roughly 20 public chargers, that the plan models a medium scenario requiring about 215 Level 2 public chargers by 2030, and that Evergy expects to meet regional generation needs though distribution and site work will be required.
The Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization presented a completed electric vehicle (EV) readiness plan and asked commissioners to use it as a resource while noting the report requested no immediate action.
"This report is not to promote or push electric vehicles," Jared Tremblay, the plan presenter identified as Planning Manager for the Flint Hills MPO, told the commission. He said the document is intended to gauge regional readiness and identify policies and infrastructure that may be needed if EV adoption increases.
The plan focuses on light-duty passenger vehicles and on Level 2 and Level 3 (DC fast) charging. Staff described Level 2 chargers as practical for day-to-day charging (typically two to eight hours per session) and Level 3 chargers as the faster, gas-station-style option for long trips (staff described a very wide range of charge times depending on vehicle and station: about 10 minutes to more than two hours in some cases). The presentation also covered demand pricing and grid-management concepts: on some Evergy rate schedules, midday/early-evening summer peak rates are substantially higher than overnight rates, which affects where and when charging will be economical.
Key findings staff reported: the three-county Flint Hills region (Riley, Pottawatomie and Geary counties) currently lags larger urban areas in EV adoption (presenter cited roughly 2% of new vehicles in the three-county area last year). Under a medium-adoption scenario modeled in the plan, staff estimated the region would need approximately 215 Level 2 public charging stations by about 2030; combined home and public charging in that scenario would imply a roughly 45-megawatt daily energy need for charging in the region by 2030. Presently, staff said, the region has about 20 public charging stations and only two DC fast stations.
Evergy, the region’s electric utility, participated as a stakeholder and staff reported Evergy’s position that the Flint Hills region does not currently face generation shortfalls driven by EV adoption. That said, staff emphasized distribution and site-specific upgrades (transformer capacity, conduit, and interconnection work) will be required to deploy chargers, and those upgrades carry cost and permitting implications.
The plan’s recommended near-term actions for local government included: updating zoning and parking standards to accommodate EV chargers and require future-ready conduit in new parking lots and buildings; streamlining permitting and inspections for EV installations; adopting accessible charging standards; developing curbside/right-of-way guidance for on-street charging; and establishing an EV point person or technical advisory committee to coordinate across departments, the Chamber and Evergy. The MPO also developed interactive cost calculators and other outreach tools to help commercial and household decision-makers estimate costs of switching vehicles or adding charging.
Commissioners asked a range of technical and policy questions, including about heavier EV weights and roadway wear, battery longevity and fire risk. Staff and the presentation noted: (1) studies show EVs to be more energy-efficient overall and on many measures less polluting even when charged from fossil-fueled grids; (2) EV maintenance can be lower — staff cited industry figures of roughly 30% lower annual maintenance costs — but tires for EVs can cost more and wear faster; and (3) fire response for battery-involved incidents requires updated training and equipment; local departments are tracking those needs and some neighboring jurisdictions have purchased EV-specific firefighting gear.
Staff reiterated the report was informational; there was no ordinance, funding request or contract toward EV station ownership. The plan recommended the city and regional partners coordinate with Evergy and private companies (retailers, travel-plaza chains, parking-operators) on siting and funding, and to prioritize locations where demand modeling shows the largest present/near-term need (downtown, Aggieville, K‑State/college-area and key corridor stops).
