AFTERNOON UPDATE: The vote passed.
Click here for more. Read below for background.
It's referred to as docket number 33672. It is an unpretentious little measure sitting on the docket of the Texas Public Utility Commission meeting Thursday. But this one measure may open wind-powered electricity production in some remarkable ways.
The vote on Thursday
will be to expand the state's grid system. Right now, Texas is emerging as the nation's leader in wind power. Wind-powered electricity production in the state could get bigger -- a LOT bigger -- if the remote areas of West Texas and the Gulf region of the state can get connected to the urban areas of the state where people use more power.
Wind power enthusiasts hope that if Texas can solve the grid problems that are so common to the wind industry, other regions will wake up, too. Wind power developers don't want to build if there is not enough of a grid to pass along the power, and power companies don't want to build a grid if there is no power to pass along.
The Dallas Morning News summarizes the issue this way:
The PUC could decide as early as Thursday among four transmission scenarios proposed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. The scenarios cost between $3 billion and $6.4 billion.
Texas has about 5,000 megawatts of wind capacity, more than any other state. But without more transmission lines, construction could stall as wind power is stranded in rural areas.
At issue is whether the investment in wind farms and transmission lines will pay off with lower power prices across the grid. The pro-wind people calculate billions in annual savings. Those who are less enthusiastic worry about hidden costs that could boost prices or stall power generation development.
How interesting that Texas, the heart of the oil country, is emerging as the new wind power state. One of the big drivers is T. Boone Pickens, a billionaire and oilman from Texas who is promoting wind power generation, especially in the windy Midwest portions of the U.S.
There is even a Web site promoting the so-called "Pickens Plan," which includes replacing
gasoline-powered cars with natural gas-driven vehicles. Additional resources:
"Legendary Oilman Pickens Promotes Revamping U.S. Power Policy," The Dallas Morning News"Don't Mess with Texas Wind," Living on Earth
"Move Over, Oil, There's Money in Texas Wind," The New York TimesThe
Times' story explains why Texas is so important to the development of wind power in America:
Texas surpassed California as the top wind farm state in 2006. In January alone, new wind farms representing $700 million of investment went into operation in Texas, supplying power sufficient for 100,000 homes.
Supporters say Texas is ideal for wind-power development, not just because it is windy. It also has sparsely populated land for wind farms, fast-growing cities and a friendly regulatory environment for developers.
"Texas could be a model for the entire nation," said Patrick Woodson, a senior development executive with E.On, a German utility operating here.
In addition to wind, other alternative energy interest appear to...
