Oncor files to help build renewable energy superhighway

Oncor made a filing with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) indicating its desire to build a significant portion of the Renewable Energy Superhighway from the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) located in West Texas. The Commission will make a final decision on which transmission providers will be called upon to build the transmission lines for CREZ.

“At Oncor we want to be an important part of the solution,” said Charles Jenkins, Oncor Senior Vice President of Transmission and System Operations. “Texas is already a leader in wind energy and this is the next step in maintaining that leadership position. Oncor has demonstrated over the decades that we can work with the state and local communities to build some of the most reliable transmission lines at some of the lowest cost, which is what Texas electric consumers deserve.”

Just recently the Commission gave initial approval for the construction of approximately $5 billion in transmission facilities to bring wind energy from West Texas to the central part of the state to provide more renewable energy.

Environmentalists and renewable energy supporters hailed the decision as one of the most significant orders in the nation. With the transmission lines in place, thousands more wind turbines can be built, more than doubling the stateÂ’s renewable energy capacity.

The Commission called for filings indicating which portion of the CREZ plan would be constructed by transmission providers. Oncor submitted its filing together with Electric Transmission Texas (ETT), AEP Texas Central Company (TCC), AEP Texas North Company (TNC), the Lower Colorado River Authority Transmission Service Corp. (LCRA) and Sharyland Utilities, LP. These transmission providers joined together in the filing offering to build, operate and maintain all of the CREZ transmission facilities.

The parties propose a comprehensive, coordinated approach for the prompt development of the CREZ transmission plan. At the time of the CommissionÂ’s order, the PUCT encouraged transmission parties to work together to help ensure timely development of transmission facilities to support wind generation. The joint filing is an important step in meeting that request and would help expedite when the transmission lines would be in place to be used.

In a joint filing by the transmission providers, they declare support for the development of expanded transmission for wind energy as good public policy and will work with stakeholders throughout the CREZ process.

Oncor proposes to utilize its substantial resources and capabilities in order to build at least 1,000 miles of transmission lines and facilities in and around OncorÂ’s service territory, which Oncor estimates will require it to invest more than $2 billion.