DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER Star-Tribune energy reporter | Posted: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 12:00 am
Two credit-worthy wind developers that want to plant wind turbines near Chugwater have tentatively committed to ship a total 585 megawatts of power on the proposed Wyoming-Colorado Intertie transmission line.
GreenHunter Wind Co. LLC and Duke Energy Ohio Inc. were successful bidders in an auction to sell transmission capacity on the proposed line. Developers expect to sell an additional 265 megawatts of transmission capacity by the time the line is permitted, built and put into service sometime in 2013.
"I look forward to seeing more of Wyoming's robust wind resource being added to the Colorado's resources and delivering benefits to consumers along the Front Range. This has been a regional effort over several years to eliminate a long-standing transmission constraint between Colorado and Wyoming," said Steve Waddington, director of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority.
One megawatt of wind is enough to power about 300 homes.
The Wyoming-Colorado Intertie is a public-private partnership among the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority, Trans-Elect Development Co. LLC, and the Western Area Power Administration.
When energy developers began targeting a transmission upgrade between the two states three years ago, it was believed that coal would likely anchor the project. But energy experts say that continued inaction by the federal government to address carbon regulation has stymied new coal projects. Meanwhile, several Western states rush to meet deadlines for self-imposed "renewable portfolio standards," which require utilities to have a certain amount of renewable power sources.
"The successful open season auction by the Wyoming-Colorado Intertie project is a significant proof of wind power's growing status as a mainstream source of electricity in the western United States," said Robert Gramlich, policy director of the American Wind Energy Association.
The Public Service Company of Colorado is Colorado's biggest utility. Waddington said the utility expects to bring in about 500 megawatts of renewable power during 2013 and 2014. The "open season" offering of delivery capacity on the Wyoming-Colorado Intertie was conducted to coincide with that effort.
"We did it so that our successful bidders could also be successful in selling their power to (Public Service Company of Colorado," Waddington said.
However, other utilities could buy the wind-generated power.
Waddington said Wyoming's wind tends to blow during peak-load times, or when customers use the most electricity. And that bodes well for developers looking to sell Wyoming wind power.
"It looks pretty competitive," Waddington said.
The Wyoming-Colorado Intertie could access up to 900 megawatts of class 6 and class 7 wind resources in the eastern part of the state, according to project developers.
Energy reporter Dustin Bleizeffer can be reached at (307) 577-6069 or dustin.bleizeffer@trib.com.
Last we knew: Power developers proposed the Wyoming-Colorado Intertie, a 800-megawatt capacity transmission line from eastern Wyoming to the Colorado Front Range.
The latest: Two wind developers recently passed credit checks and tentatively committed to shipping a total 585 megawatts of wind energy on the power line.
What's next: Permitting and marketing efforts are still in the works.]]->
Several projects are in the works to boost Wyoming's electrical export capacity.
Wyoming-Colorado Intertie
800 megawatts (mostly wind) from eastern Wyoming to the Colorado Front Range
Trans-Elect Development Co., LLC, Wyoming Infrastructure Authority and the Western Area Power Administration
TransWest Express
3,000 megawatts (mostly wind) from southern Wyoming to the Desert Southwest
TransWest Express LLC, an affiliate of Anschutz Corp.
Gateway West
3,000 megawatts from Wyoming to Idaho
Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power]]->