This week’s decision by the Southwest Power Pool to approve nearly $8 billion in transmission line projects has the support of renewable energy Enel Green.
Stephen Pike, head of Enel Green Power North America, one of the largest wind operators in the 14-state grid, including Oklahoma, that makes up the SPP, applauded the $7.7 billion plan.
“The Southwest Power Pool is taking bold action to add significant investments in new transmission,” he said in a statement.
Pike said the SPP territory is rich in low-cost wind and solar resource, but transmission congestion prevents customers from receiving the most affordable electricity.
“Investing in transmission and putting it into service, consistent with the transmission planning assumptions, is critical to improve reliability and lower costs for homes and businesses in the long term. As power demand increases and extreme weather events worsen, the urgency is high to execute this plan.”