Today's Wind Headlines

Two news releases straight from Southwest Power Pool (SPP) concerning Extra High Voltage (EHV) Transmission Expansion:

Portfolio of New EHV Transmission Projects Approved: Benefits Will Be Balanced Across SPP Region

Map included with release:

Source: SPP

New Integrated Planning Process Will Focus on Regional, EHV Transmission Expansion

A few other items, FYI:

County hears about wind farm plans

Renewable Energy Myths and Facts

WIND FACT
"The main incentive for wind, the production tax credit (PTC), is an effective policy to facilitate wind power development, as evidenced by the growing use of wind power.

Wind project owners receive tax credits for the energy they produce. Therefore, they have an incentive to use better wind sites and better technology, harvesting the most energy possible from every wind turbine."

Source: Wind Energy Works!: The Economics of Wind

Today's Wind Headlines

Several links from yesterday and today:

Turbine plans hit headwinds

Renewable Energy Stocks Worth Investing In

Building power lines creates a web of problems

Wind firms describe plans, Wiring could begin in 2010

American Wind Energy Association Releases First Quarter 2009 Report: More than 2,800 MW New Wind Generation Capacity Installed

Al Gore Endorses Green Bank Bill

WIND FACT

"Many individuals are often concerned about the sounds that wind turbines generate. In reality, wind turbines generate about the same amount of noise you would hear from a kitchen refrigerator or a moderately quiet room."
Source: Wind Energy Works: Resources

Transmission Seminar

Yesterday Class 4 Winds, a wind advocate located in the Panhandle of Texas, hosted a seminar focusing on transmission for renewable energy zones in Amarillo, Texas. The event featured representatives from Sharyland Utilities and Cross Texas Transmission. These companies have both been designated to build out transmission in the Panhandle of Texas as designated by the PUCT. Click here to see a map of where the lines are planned and who will build them.

You will be able to find both presentation on Class 4 Winds' Web site, but here are a couple of the points I felt were important to mention:

• Substation placement

When looking at the map (from above) you will see dots which represents the proximity in which a substation or collection station will be built. It is important to note that while this represents the general area in which the station will be built, the actual exact placement of the substation has not been determined. Both Cross Texas and Sharyland pointed out that the dot on the map represents the location ERCOT identified but they have not zeroed in on a location.

• Public Meetings
  

Information meetings similar to the event that took place in Amarillo will take place in the preliminary stages of this process. As the companies begin to map out different routes in which they may build the lines they will notify landowners who will potentially be affected. Maps will be available at these meetings showing the possible routes and landowners will be asked to give feedback. Both presenters noted the importance of getting community feedback to determine what routes would work best for everyone. Many letters have already been sent out to environmental entities, counties, municipalities, etc. to help identify areas to avoid including things such as: cemeteries, center pivots, airports, etc. The main point here is that these companies are looking to work very closely with communities to make sure they minimize the impact these lines may have. Once several routes have been selected they will be sent to the PUCT via a CCN at which time members of the public would have the opportunity to go to the PUCT with concerns and insight.

• Acquiring Right of Way (ROW)

Once the PUCT has approved the company's CCN and selected a route the company will then go about securing the necessary ROW. The companies will have the land appraised and will then go about purchasing the land right out or with an option; the most typical type of purchase agreement will be a land easement to last the life of the line. Land will be acquired for substations, access roads, foundations, and the lines themselves. Sharyland's represetative said that they will be sending a group out to visit with landowners post-construction to make sure they is no aviodable damage done to the land.

• Dispatch priorities vs. open access systems
  

One big question that seems to arise with the build out of transmission is, who gets to online and who gets to do it first? Currently under docket number 34577 the PUCT is trying to decide how to handle this situation. Some wind developers would like to see priority given to those who formally participated in the CCN application process and other support an open access system. Those who are actively involved in the process would be asked to post collateral with 45 days of transmission service providers (TSPs) CCN application which would cover cost of transmission improvements. These developers would be refunded if they went online within a year after the system is ready. There is also they issue as to whether or not it is even legal to give priority to one kind of developer, in this case wind. Developers are hoping to get some certainty on this matter sometime this year.

For More information about either of these companies visit thier Web sites at:
www.sharylandutilities.com
www.crosstexas.com

Today's Wind Headlines

Here is an article on transmission:

Green Superhighway: Overhauling the Grid to Accommodate Renewables

And don't forget the Class 4 Winds transmission seminar is taking place on Monday in Amarillo. See their Web page for more information.


WIND FACT

"Wind energy is one of the most popular energy technologies. Opinion surveys regularly show that just over eight out of 10 people (80%) are in favor of wind energy, and less than one in ten (around 5%) are against it. The rest are undecided."
Source: AWEA - Wind Energy and the Environment

Today's Wind Headlines

Click on the links below to read about current issues in the industry:

DOE Report: Recovery Package Clean Energy Provisions are Working

Storing Renewable Energy on the Smart Grid

And a couple of items, just FYI:

AWEA Annual Wind Industry Report

Obama Stresses Clean Energy on Earth Day

WIND FACT

"...wind energy has one of the shortest energy payback times of any energy technology. A wind turbine typically takes only a few months (3-8, depending on the average wind speed at its site) to 'pay back' the energy needed for its fabrication, installation, operation, and retirement."
Source: AWEA Wind Energy Potential

Sharyland Feature

I am working on a feature story on Sharyland Utilities for our upcoming newsletter. If you have any specific questions or concerns that you want addressed please submit them so that I can get those questions answered. Either post a comment on this entry or send them in an email to info@caprockplainswind.com

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Today's Wind Headlines

A couple of articles for today:

LCRA TSC to Host Transmission Project Open Houses

Luminant Retains Status as Top Wind Purchaser in Texas

Iberdrola Opens Texas Wind Farm, Receives Approval for Vermont Project


WIND FACT

"The entire transmission system of the wind-rich High Plains, which cover the central one-third of the U.S., needs to be extensively redesigned and redeveloped. At present, this system consists mostly of small distribution lines—instead, a series of new high-voltage transmission lines is needed to transmit electricity from wind plants to population centers. Such a redevelopment will be expensive, but it will also benefit consumers and national security, by making the electrical transmission system more reliable and by reducing shortages and price volatility of natural gas. Transmission will be a key issue for the wind industry's future development over the next two decades."

Source: AWEA: Wind Energy Potential