Oklahomans push back on transmission projects even as the state’s energy needs continue to grow

Across the country and around the world, demand for electricity is growing faster than ever. In Oklahoma, energy companies and the regional grid are racing to build infrastructure that can meet the state’s growing electricity needs.

But some Oklahomans aren’t happy about plans to festoon rural areas with towering transmission lines. One project in particular, the 375-mile-long Cimarron Link, has drawn concern and even protest.

The transmission line would carry energy generated by the Panhandl...