Flint Hills MPO presents EV readiness plan, finds current charging limited but grid planning adequate

The Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization presented an electric-vehicle readiness plan to the Riley County Commission on April 14, describing current charging infrastructure, use patterns, grid impacts and policy options for local governments.

Jared Trevway of the Flint Hills MPO told commissioners the plan is a diagnostic tool, not a project list. The MPO found 14 public charging stations with 20 charging plugs across the region and estimated the average electric-vehicle (EV) range in 2024 at roughly 284 miles. In Riley County the MPO estimated EV ownership at about 2% of vehicles; Kansas City was cited as 6–7% and statewide levels higher in some urban markets.

The study modeled three growth scenarios and said a medium-growth case (approximately 10% EVs by 2030 in the region) could require roughly 215 level-2 chargers and would add tens of megawatts of daily charging demand (the MPO presented an illustrative high-end scenario of roughly 45 megawatts per day). The MPO emphasized that most charging is expected at residences and that public charging will be used more for longer trips and as a top-up option.

Evergy (the regional electric utility) participated in stakeholder discussions and told the MPO it expects to incorporate EV demand into generation planning and does not foresee an inability to meet projected generation needs in the MPO’s scenarios, though the utility cautioned that investments in transmission and distribution will be required. Stakeholders noted demand-pricing programs and smart charging systems can shift charging to lower-cost overnight hours and help manage loads.

The presentation also summarized federal and state funding programs for fast chargers — including the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and KDOT’s Charge Up Kansas solicitations — and explained those awards carry requirements (for example, 24-hour access, WiFi, proximity to commerce and multiple chargers per site). The MPO recommended local actions to ease private deployment: update zoning and parking standards to make new development “EV-ready” (for example, conduit and reserved capacity), incorporate EV charging questions into long-range planning, and streamline permitting so businesses can install charging equipment.

Trevway recommended annual or semiannual regional coordination meetings, a local point of contact for prospective private installers and continued public education about costs and charging patterns. Commissioners asked about who should own chargers (private businesses rather than the city or county) and where federal funds could be deployed; Trevway said NEVI and other grant programs tend to fund highway fast-charging corridors and that most local charging will emerge from private development and utilities working with sites such as hotels, garages and retailers.

The plan’s cost examples showed a range: a level-2 home charger can cost several hundred to about $1,000 installed, public chargers can cost multiple thousands, and multi-plug DC fast-charging installations can total hundreds of thousands when foundations, electrical upgrades and transformer work are required.

The MPO asked the commission to accept the readiness plan for planning use and to consider the recommended changes when reviewing new development, public projects and long-range plans.