AUSTIN, Texas, July 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Electric Transmission
Texas, LLC, (ETT) has joined with several other Texas transmission
providers to form a consortium to jointly develop transmission facilities
to enhance wind power development in Texas.
The consortium filed today with the Public Utility Commission of Texas
a comprehensive, coordinated proposal for development of transmission for
Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) under the Scenario 2 plan adopted
by the commission July 17. At that time, the commission encouraged
transmission parties to work together to help ensure timely development of
transmission facilities to support wind generation. Scenario 2 envisions
the construction of approximately 2,400 miles of new 345-kV transmission
lines and facilities at a projected cost of $4.9 billion.
The filing is available on the ETT website - http://www.ettexas.com.
ETT is a joint venture between subsidiaries of American Electric Power
(NYSE: AEP) and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company to build transmission
projects within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Other
transmission providers in the consortium are AEP Texas Central Company, AEP
Texas North Company, LCRA Transmission Services Corporation, Oncor Electric
Delivery Company and Sharyland Utilities, LP.
The proposal filed today outlines the transmission facilities that each
member of the consortium will develop. Consortium members will assume
responsibility for permitting, construction and operation and maintenance
of the proposed facilities.
ETT will build and own the transmission facilities within and around
the AEP Texas North distribution service territory, including approximately
710 miles of new transmission facilities. AEP Texas Central and AEP Texas
North will be responsible for another 145 miles of upgraded transmission
lines. LCRA and Oncor propose to develop transmission facilities in and
around their service territories, while Sharyland proposes developing
transmission facilities in the Texas Panhandle that are not currently in
the ERCOT transmission footprint.
The estimated cost to build ETT's portion of the joint parties'
proposal is between $1.5 billion and $1.7 billion.
"With this filing, the parties express their willingness to work
together to develop a comprehensive transmission solution to bring clean,
renewable energy to load centers in Texas," said Calvin Crowder, ETT
president. "The joint proposal creates the opportunity for more timely and
cost-effective completion of the transmission facilities without protracted
litigation and dispute among transmission providers.
"We also recognize there is much work ahead of us as we attempt to
enlist additional parties, including other qualified transmission
providers, to join in settlement of this proceeding," Crowder said. "The
members of this consortium look forward to working with others to build
consensus around selection of transmission providers to complete the CREZ
transmission plan."
MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, based in Des Moines, Iowa, is a
global provider of energy services. Through its energy-related business
platforms -- PacifiCorp, MidAmerican Energy Company, CE Electric UK, Kern
River Gas Transmission Company, Northern Natural Gas Company and CalEnergy
-- MidAmerican provides electric and natural gas service to more than 6.9
million customers worldwide. MidAmerican subsidiaries PacifiCorp and
MidAmerican Energy Company own and operate more than 18,000 miles of
electric transmission lines. Information about MidAmerican is available on
the Internet at http://www.midamerican.com.
American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the
United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in
11 states. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity,
owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also
owns the nation's largest electricity transmission system, a nearly
39,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage
transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP's
transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the
electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected
transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and
eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in
ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP's utility
units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and
West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan
Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern
Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP's
headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.
SOURCE Electric Transmission Texas, LLC
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Related links:
http://www.ettexas.com
http://www.midamerican.com http://www.aep.com/
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/042050.html/
CONTACT:
Pat D. Hemlepp, American Electric Power,
+1-614-716-1620, for Electric Transmission Texas
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