Canadian company TransCanada (TSE:TRP) is seeking develop a plan to move wind power from the Rockies to the southwest United States via two, $3 billion USD transmission lines.
The transmission lines will be located in Montana and Wyoming and would extend 1,000 miles southwest to the Eldorado Valley near Las Vegas. They would be able to connect to markets in California, Arizona, and Nevada.
Furthermore, the expensive, high-tech lines would be able to move 3,000 megawatts from both Montana and Wyoming. Combined, Wyoming and Montana, currently produce 1,200 MW of wind power; so, the transmission lines would be able to move three times as much as Wyoming's current wind power capacity, and eight times as much as Montana's current capacity.
TransCanada states this plan has been in the works for many years, it was just looking for customers. So, on October 14th and 15th TransCanada will be holding "open season" auctions for customers who want space on the lines. The results of the auction will determine if TransCanada moves forward with the project.
Wyoming and Montana have some of the best wind resources in the U.S., however, they have yet to be realized. This project could spur huge growth in renewable power generation as well as in the economies of these two Rocky Mountain states. As Evan Barrett, chief economic development adviser to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, highlights, TransCanada's plan "sends a signal to the wind generation developers in Montana that now is the time to start planning to put wind farms up that will feed into this."
Read the full story at the Industrial Wind Action Group: Montana, Wyoming wind power sought for $3B lines
Nathanael Baker is the Managing Editor of EnergyBoom. He has researched and reported on the issues of renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change for over two years. He has provided research to the New York Times and The Economist, as well as being published on different media outlets including, The Energy Collective.
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