Record Wind Energy in Texas Underscores Transmission Need

Texas wind farms one day late in October set a record at 6,223MW, almost 70% of the wind capacity in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system. Wind energy production usually ranges between 30% and 40% of listed capacity.

The record, which startled ERCOT grid operators, underscores the challenges Texas faces as it attempts to harness Smart Grid technologies to bring ever more renewable energy online. ERCOT manages power for roughly 22 million customers, which is 85% of the state's electric load.

ERCOT said the record was set on Oct. 28. And it underscores what is likely the state's biggest challenge for the future of renewable power: transmission. Texas is considered the state with the highest capacity for wind energy production. Most of the wind farms are located in the western part of the state, and the rapidly growing population centers are concentrated on the opposite side of the state. There aren't enough transmission lines to keep up with the increased power generation capacity from wind and meet the needs of growing cities like Houston, Dallas and Austin.

A new 345kV transmission line built by NextEra Energy Resources can transmit 950MW of electricity from two of its West Texas wind farms to ERCOT's South zone—which does take some pressure off congested transmission lines. And, ERCOT plans to oversee construction of a new high-voltage transmission line system that will cost $5 billion. The addition of 2,300 miles of transmission lines is expected to increase capacity to 18,500MW.

That long-term project won't be online until 2013, and that is what makes Texas regulators and others nervous. Texas wind generation, which has been increasing continuously since 2006, has outgrown the 4,000MW of transmission capacity to move power from western wind farms to points east.

ERCOT's interim CEO, Trip Doggett, said the October 28 spike in wind production was "unusual," but told Reuters that he viewed it as what's to come. "I think we will see more situations where we're in the high 4,000(MW) or low 5,000(ME) on high wind days," he said.

   Reuters news article

   Big Problem in Texas

   Texas Stimulus Toolkit on SGN