The public is invited to attend open houses planned in January in McCamey and Odessa concerning two new transmission line projects expected to be built in Ector, Midland, Crane, Upton, Crockett and Pecos counties.

LCRA Transmission Services Corporation (LCRA TSC) will host the “come and go”-style open houses as an opportunity to inform citizens about the project and to gather public input concerning line routing.

Each open house will be from 6 to 8 p.m. in both locations. LCRA employees will share information with the public and answer questions about the project during the open houses. Exhibits describing the projects and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) approval process will be discussed.

The open houses will be held at these locations:

• McCamey - Monday, Jan. 11, McCamey Park building auditorium, 212 W. 7th Street
• Odessa - Tuesday, Jan. 12, Odessa Best Western Garden Oasis, 110 W. Interstate 20

More than 1,400 letters concerning the open houses were mailed to landowners on Dec. 28. LCRA TSC also has mailed similar letters to public elected officials and others.

The McCamey C to McCamey A transmission line project and the McCamey A to Odessa project are part of a greater estimated $4.9 billion project intended to allow for reliable and cost-effective delivery of power produced from wind generators located in areas of West Texas and the Panhandle, called Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ), to areas of high energy demand throughout the state.

The CREZ effort will significantly increase Texas’ current electric transmission capacity for wind power. Texas leads the nation in wind energy production, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

McCamey A to Odessa project

The McCamey A to Odessa transmission line will be a new single-circuit, double-circuit capable 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line. LCRA TSC proposes to construction the transmission line on steel lattice structures. The line will connect the McCamey A (North McCamey) Station to the Oncor extra high- voltage Odessa Station. Both stations will be expanded, with the Odessa station at a location approximately 1,500 feet south of its current location.

LCRA TSC initially will install one 345-kV circuit on the transmission line, which will accommodate a second 345-kV circuit when necessary in the future. The transmission line may be located in portions of Upton, Crane, Ector and Midland counties.

LCRA TSC will file its application to amend its Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN), which is required before construction can begin, for this project with the PUC on May 24, 2010.

McCamey C to McCamey A project

The McCamey C to McCamey A project will be a new single-circuit, double-circuit capable 345-kV line from the McCamey A (North McCamey) Station located in southwestern Upton County to the McCamey C (Bakersfield) Station, to be located in northeastern Pecos County. LCRA TSC proposes to construct the transmission line on steel lattice structures.

LCRA TSC initially will install one circuit on the transmission line with provision for a second circuit to be installed when necessary. The transmission line may be located in portions of Upton, Crane, Crockett and Pecos counties.

LCRA TSC will file its CCN application with the PUC on July 26, 2010.

PUC to approve routes

Both application packages will include information about a preferred route and alternative routes for the new lines. The routes must be approved by the PUC before LCRA TSC can begin construction. The PUC will select which route will be constructed.

Both of these projects are scheduled to become operational by September 2013.

The PUC ordered LCRA TSC to build the new transmission lines in part to increase the reliability of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas grid and increase the transfer of wind and other power into various parts of the state. Several other transmission service providers also will build CREZ-related lines totaling about 2,400 miles. As ordered by the PUC, LCRA TSC will build, own and operate about 600 miles of new and rebuilt existing transmission lines and facilities that will total about $700 million, according to PUC estimates.

For more information on line routing study area maps and more about CREZ-related projects, see http://www.lcra.org/crez.

About LCRA TSC

LCRA Transmission Services Corporation is a nonprofit corporation created by LCRA to build, own, and operate transmission lines and related facilities throughout Texas. LCRA TSC owns and leases about 4,400 miles of transmission lines and other facilities that are part of the state’s electric grid. LCRA TSC pays local and state taxes.

About LCRA

The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is a nonprofit conservation and reclamation district that provides energy, water, and community services to Texans. Created by the Texas Legislature in 1934, LCRA has no taxing authority and operates solely on utility revenues and service fees. LCRA supplies electricity to more than 1.1 million Texans through more than 40 wholesale customers. LCRA also provides many other services in the region. These services include managing floods, protecting the quality of the lower Colorado River and its tributaries, providing parks and recreational facilities, offering economic development assistance, operating water and wastewater utilities, and providing soil, energy, and water conservation programs.