(SPP’s Casey Cathey explains potential high-voltage solutions in the Permian Basin. | © RTO Insider LLC)
Details are slowly coming out about the Southwest Power Pool plans to build 300 miles of extra-high-voltage transmission lines in the Permian Basin to help its grid handle expected “extreme” load growth.
Oklahoma is a member of the SPP and according to reports, the power pool has proposed a 765-kV project and several l500-kV projects in Texas and New Mexico where it serves the oil-rich region.
According to Grid Monitor, ERCOT staff has projected the SPS projects will cost about $750 million, or almost as much as the 2022 and 2023 ITP portfolios. The entire portfolio could end up costing between $2 billion and $3.5 billion.
However, engineering vice president Casey Cathey recently stated the costs are “rough estimates” and final estimates have not been made.
As Grid Monitor reported, both SPP and ERCOT, the Texas grid operator, are facing growth issues in the Permian Basin and experienced challenges in providing enough electric power.
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