Wind power experts say Texas grid needs work
Strong spring wind production in West Texas has been trapped as major transmission lines undergo seasonal maintenance. The lack of sufficient transmission capacity to move wind power from sparsely populated West Texas to densely populated North Texas has led to low on-peak prices and some negative off-peak prices in trading in the ERCOT West zone and for "seller's choice" power.
"Small companies may get spooked" by the low prices, said Declan Flanagan, chief executive of E.ON Climate & Renewables North America which hopes to double its U.S. wind generation to 1,150 megawatts by early next year.
As market participants and regulators develop large, new transmission lines to take advantage of the state's wind resource, the market for wind will stabilize, Flanagan told the Gulf Coast Power Association conference in Houston.
"Long-term, ERCOT is a growing market, driven by natural gas" that will continue to attract thousands of megawatts of new wind generation," he said.
Related News

Crews have restored power to more than 32,000 Gulf Power customers
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLA. - Less than 24 hours ago, Hurricane Micheal devastated the residents in the Florida Panhandle with its heavy winds, rainfall and storm surge.
Gulf Power crews worked quickly through the night to restore power to their customers.
Linemen crews were dispatched from numerous of cities all over the U. S. to help those impacted by Hurricane Michael.
According to Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesperson; “This was an unprecedented storm, and our customers will see an unprecedented response from Gulf Power. The destruction we’ve seen so far to this community and our electrical system is devastating — we’re seeing damage across…