UPDATE 1-Texas finalizes plan to expand wind lines

reuters ^ | 1/29/2009 | Eileen O'Grady

[shove_it]

HOUSTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Texas utility regulators on Thursday awarded nine companies rights to build $5 billion in new electric transmission lines to move power from windy areas to big cities like Dallas and San Antonio, a move aimed at doubling renewable energy supplies.

Dallas-based Oncor, the state's largest power company, American Electric Power's (AEP.N) joint venture Electric Transmission Texas and Sharyland Utilities, along with affiliates of FPL Group (FPL.N), Spanish-based Isolux Corsan and LS Power Group were awarded major portions of the grid expansion, which will add as much as 2,900 miles of new power lines.

"We have taken a big step to deliver more wind power to Texas electric customers," Texas Public Utility Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman said after the panel's vote.

Texas currently leads the nation with 8,005 megawatts of wind-generating capacity, an electric resource that produces no greenhouse gas.

Rising production from wind farms accounted for 4.9 percent of power consumed in the state last year, up from 2.9 percent in 2007, according to data from the Texas grid operator.

But rapid addition of turbines in the western half of the state outstripped the ability of the existing high-voltage network to move the power to the state's largest cities, creating costly grid congestion in 2008.

Last year, the commission identified needed transmission pathways to accommodate as much as 18,500 megawatts of wind generation in the next few years.

Oncor, which was assigned new lines in north and central Texas valued at about $1.3 billion, said it will now begin detailed engineering work and land purchases.

[...]

[shove_it]

ping

[org.whodat]

Who would have thought it possible for a billionaire investor in Texas to get what he wanted.

LOL

[Kimmers]

I am fairly new to Texas and shocked at how expensive electricity is in this great state.

It would be nice if this would decrease costs for the consumer...I doubt it

[KarlInOhio]

Last year, the commission identified needed transmission pathways to accommodate as much as 18,500 megawatts of wind generation in the next few years.

Oncor, which was assigned new lines in north and central Texas valued at about $1.3 billion, said it will now begin detailed engineering work and land purchases.

Will the right-of-way be restricted to just power lines, or is T. Boone Pickens getting his dream of free land for natural gas and water pipelines under the guise of power line right-of-way?

[Ben Ficklin]

"Who would of thought it possible for a Texas billionaire investor in Texas to get what he wanted"

Are you talking about the H L Hunt family that controls Sharyland Utilities, who got a part of the action. Or maybe Warren Buffet who is in the Electric Transmission Texas joint venture, who got part of the action.

No, you are talking about Pickens, whose involvement is only a small time wind farm operator in a huge project that will have many wind farms

[Mark]

Have you heard anything about EESTOR? Texas company I believe
that got a patent on some kind of super capacitor. A lot of information is at Wikipedia. I couldn’t find anything on FreeRepublic about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor

[Ben Ficklin]

Yes, I have heard of that before, but I don’t know much about it.

[thackney]

Been discussed on FR a few times:

Battery Breakthrough?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048151/posts
Posted on Saturday, July 19, 2008

Texas startup says it has batteries beat
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1890991/posts
Posted on Tuesday, September 04, 2007

EEStor Announces Two Key Production Milestones
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1769639/posts
Posted on Thursday, January 18, 2007