Floydada, Texas-based Caprock Plains Wind Energy Association (CPWEA) recently held its annual membership meeting and addressed area landowners' questions about the lack of wind development in the area.
Richard Amato, president and CEO of Venti Energy and wind subcommittee chair for the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association, provided the attendees with a wind industry update, explaining that development in Texas has come a long way but still has the potential to grow.
‘Even though market conditions are depressed right now, there is still a lot of room for potential growth,’ Amato says. ‘This isn't a dying industry; there is only room to improve. We have barely scratched the tip of potential for wind.’
In addition, Cameron Fredkin, director of project development for Cross Texas Transmission, also spoke during the recent CPWEA meeting about the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) process and his group's involvement in this expansive build out of the Texas transmission grid.
‘We recognize that communication is essential as we develop the transmission expansion plan, and we look forward to working with landowners throughout the Panhandle region,’ says Fredkin.
Cross Texas Transmission is a subsidiary of LS Power Development LLC and was selected by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to permit, construct, own and operate over 230 miles of 345 kV transmission lines in the Texas Panhandle as a part of the CREZ process.
Currently, Cross Texas is working on identifying geographically diverse routes, which will be submitted to the PUCT next year.
SOURCE: Caprock Plains Wind Energy Association
