Wind Development Tutorial

In late July, ERCOT, directed by the Texas PUC, made its long-awaited announcement of the Competitive Renewable Energy zones (CREz) – transmission line build-outs to provide access to ideal wind-producing regions of Texas. Eight areas have been designated. PUC has agreed to absorb the transmission build cost into the ratebase, on the philosophy of “build it and they (wind-developers) will come.” The CREz designations will make Texas even more of a boom state for wind for the coming years.

Already a number of major players have announced intentions to build wind farms and transmission—but with an estimated 25-28,000 megawatts of wind capacity up for grabs, there is plenty of room for other players. Forthcoming by January 08 will be the Transmission Optimization Study, laying out the technical parameters for interconnection. This is the perfect time to get the comprehensive briefing to understand the opportunities and get the most current nuts and bolts information on what will be required to take part in the CREz wind bonanza. Meet the other players, and field your technical questions to ERCOT representatives.

What do you need to know to take part in this wind build out?
Who are the currently announced players, and which regions are they planning to build in?
Where are the congestion zones now, and how will announced wind and transmission build-outs affect them? Specifics of how congestion zones work in Texas, and issues with selling into a congestion zone (FTR)
When will the transmission lines be completed, and where will they run?
What will the ERCOT rules be for connecting to the new lines?
What will the technical connection parameters look like for the new lines?
How to avoid being a Johnny-come-lately –getting stuck with overbuild