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Flint Hills regional EV readiness study urges planning, I-70 charging and parking-code updates
Summary
A regional electric-vehicle readiness plan presented to the commission recommended updating zoning and permitting to prepare for EV charging, identified gaps on I-70 and said Evergy does not foresee generation shortfalls for projected mid-range EV adoption; the presentation urged local planning to enable private investment in public chargers.
Jared Trumbull, planning manager for the Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization, presented an electric-vehicle (EV) readiness plan for the region and described infrastructure, policy and permitting steps the county and partner communities should consider.
Trumbull emphasized the study is diagnostic rather than prescriptive: it reviews current conditions, models future demand and suggests policy and permitting changes to accommodate private-sector installation of EV chargers. The plan focuses on light vehicles and charging behavior (most charging occurs at home and uses Level 2 chargers; longer trips use DC fast-charging/Level 3).
Key findings and recommendations included:
- Charging gaps on I-70: federal NEVI guidance aims for DC fast chargers about every 50 miles along designated interstates; Trumbull said Junction City is a logical candidate for an I-70 fast-charging site (to serve travelers between Abilene and Alma) and that corridor-level facilities must provide 24-hour bathrooms and other traveler services.
- Local public-charging inventory: the region has many Level 2 chargers concentrated around Manhattan; Junction City currently has limited public Level 2/3 options (Trumbull noted a public charger at a local pharmacy and chargers in Manhattan) and no comprehensive DC fast-charging hub on the I-70 corridor within Geary County.
- Utility planning: Evergy participated in stakeholder discussions and told planners the Flint Hills region should be able to meet mid-range EV adoption scenarios without generation shortfalls; however, Trumbull said distribution and transmission upgrades will still be needed as EV charging grows.
- Zoning, permitting and parking: the report recommends adopting zoning updates and permitting streamlining (for example, requiring conduit for future charging in new parking lots, considering percentage-ready design standards and addressing multiunit housing permitting). Trumbull said retrofitting parking and building infrastructure is frequently far more expensive than incorporating conduit and design in new construction.
- Policy and charging economics: the presentation noted current debates over how EVs contribute to road funding (fuel taxes vs. fees on electricity/road-user charges). Trumbull also noted pilot proposals (including proposals to levy a cents-per-kWh fee on public charging) and that EV owners currently pay a state administrative registration fee in lieu of fuel taxes in Kansas.
Trumbull closed by urging local governments to review zoning and permitting for new commercial and multiunit developments, coordinate with Evergy on potential future sites and consider I-70 fast-charging locations as a means to attract traveler spending. The commission received the presentation and asked staff to remain engaged with regional partners on permitting and siting issues.
