Key points:
* 800 miles transmission lines
* 1,000,000 homes powered
* 4,200 MW wind capable
* 1,800 MW wind from Airtricity

http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=busi...

Airtricity backs $1.5bn US project

By Ian Guider
AN Airtricity plan to power more than one million homes a year in
Texas has been submitted for regulatory approval.

Airtricity, the wind farm operator backed by NTR, is supporting a bid
by Sharyland Utilities to build an 800-mile transmission loop across
Texas capable of supplying 4,200 megawatts of electricity generated
from wind farms. Airtricity will provide around 1,800 megawatts of
wind energy to the project.

The other members of the consortium for the $1.5 billion project are
Eircom owner Babcock & Brown, Occidental Energy Ventures and Texas
chemical firm Celanese Corporation.

Last Thursday Sharyland Utilities submitted the plans for the so-
called "Panhandle Loop" to the Public Utility Commission of Texas for
approval. The loop will connect Airtricity and other energy suppliers
to the existing regional electricity grid run by the Electric
Reliability Council of Texas.

Airtricity chief executive Eddie O'Connor said the scale of this
project was unprecedented and its benefits to the US economy as well
as to the environment were incredible. "The Panhandle Loop project is
like constructing a power station greater than the entire generation
for Ireland and building it by 2010."

Dr O'Connor said the Airtricity plans will have a major impact on
reducing global warming by preventing the release of over six million
tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions from being released into the
atmosphere each year.

Airtricity are hoping to have the loop approved by the Public Utility
Commission (PUC) in July. The company's operations in the US are
headed by Pat Woods, a former head of the PUC of Texas and of the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Although the cost of the loop is estimated at $1.5 billion, this will
eventually be paid for by Texas taxpayers in electricity charges.