Getting wind power to market is still an expensive proposition

Amarillo Globe-News:

The $1.6 billion transmission system to take export Texas Panhandle wind power downstate is almost finished, but the Energy Reliability Council of Texas already is looking at options in case all the announced wind farms are built without enough transmission lines to move their power.

The wind farms that have requested ERCOT review have production capacities totaling more than 11,000 megawatts.

Of those, farms capable of producing 3,500 megawatts have signed agreements with utilities to provide energy to them in places like Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, but the new system was designed to handle only about 2,500 megawatts.

“Of that 3,500 megawatts, about 1,000 have financial commitments,” said ERCOT spokeswoman Robbie Searcy.

“We expect we’ll have sufficient capacity through about 2015.”

Production capacity is what the wind farm could produce under optimal conditions all day and night.

More than 230 miles of transmission line built by Cross Texas Transmission to serve the eastern Texas Panhandle is complete, said Cameron Fredkin, director of project development at Cross Texas.

Sharyland Utilities is almost finished with its 300 miles of lines in the western and south-central Texas Panhandle.
...

The wind turbines rarely operate at optimal capacity so they are unlikely to produce more than can be carried at this point, but if more wind farms are added, they will probably need to arrange for more transmission lines.  The cost of these lines make the electricity from these sources more expensive.  Green energy is not free.