Shortage Of Transmission Lines Could Deflate Texas Wind-Power Effort

Renewable-energy advocates have warned that a lack of transmission lines could slow the state's boom in wind power.

If costly transmission lines aren't built soon, "it'll be hard to sustain the growth" in wind-generated electricity, energy consultant Mike Sloan warned the American Wind Energy Associa- tion conference at the Austin Convention Center.

Texas has experienced a wind rush since 1999, when a state law mandated that Texas add significant amounts of power from renewable sources by 2009. Also spurring the boom: federal tax credits for wind-generated power that started in 1995.

But Sloan, president of Austin-based Virtus Energy Research Associates, said the lack of transmission capacity is so acute that Texas may not generate enough renewable-based electricity to meet the 1999 state law.

"It threatens . . . possibly even the mandate itself," he said. The law requires Texas to add 2,000 new megawatts of renewable power by 2009.

The problem stems from the state's wind boom of 2001, a year in which Texas installed more wind power -- 912 megawatts -- than had been installed nationwide in any single year previously. One thousand megawatts can power 1 million homes.

Much of that power came in West Texas near McCamey, where hundreds of wind turbines dot the arid, elevated landscape.

McCamey is about 75 miles south of Midland.

But Texas' grid of electricity transmission lines hasn't been able to move all of the wind power generated in West Texas to connection points that serve the most power-hungry regions of the state.

Companies such as Austin-based Cielo Wind Power LLC have had to severely curtail production in the McCamey area in the past year or so, although pending upgrades to existing transmission lines are expected to improve the situation later this year.

A TXU Corp. executive downplayed the urgency of new transmission lines, saying there were suitable sites for wind power in other areas of the state.

John Spicer of Dallas-based TXU said it would be possible to generate 1,380 megawatts of wind-generated electricity in six regions of the state that wouldn't require new transmission lines. The biggest potential site is in Nolan County, west of Abilene.

Spicer said TXU is developing two sites but declined to name them.

Sloan said the most productive sites, however, are on West Texas mesas, where there is little vegetation to impede the strong wind.

The transmission situation doesn't immediately threaten power companies that market wind power, although long-term supply problems could hurt sales.

Austin Energy, the city-owned utility, has nearly 7,000 customers for its "Green Choice" program, which uses electricity generated by wind and methane from landfills. The utility is reviewing bids it received for additional supplies of renewable power and expects to sign a deal in June.