More than 1,570 people attended open houses hosted by LCRA Transmission Services Corporation (LCRA TSC) for a new proposed transmission line project to be built in parts of Schleicher, Sutton, Menard, Kimble, Mason, Gillespie, Kerr and Kendall counties.
LCRA TSC hosted nine open houses in Junction, Menard, Mason, Fredericksburg, Eldorado, Kerrville and Sonora from Feb. 15 through 24 to inform citizens about the projects and to gather public input concerning line routing for the McCamey D-to-Kendall-to-Gillespie project.
LCRA TSC urges those open house attendees who took questionnaires home to complete them and put them in the mail or fax them by the deadline of Wednesday, March 10. Others who want to comment can find the open house questionnaire online at www.lcra.org/crez.
The transmission project is 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.
LCRA TSC will file its application to amend its Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN), which is required before construction can begin, for the McCamey D-to-Kendall-to-Gillespie project with the Public Utility Commission (PUC) by July 6, 2010.
The application 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 and structure type will be constructed.
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 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.
