Dive Summary:
- Tres Amigas wants to unite the the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection and the Texas Interconnection. and also boost the flow of wind power across the states.
- The company needs $550 million to kick-start the first part of the project, which will let 750 megawatts (MW) flow between the Eastern and Western grids. The second phase of this project would forge a connection between the Eastern and Texas grids, allowing for 1,500 MW to flow between them.
- “There’s significant demand for transfer among the three grids,” Russell Stidolph, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Tres Amigas, tells Greentech Media. Tres Amigas says the benefits of a unified U.S. grid could result in cheaper, more reliable power and greater freedom to move renewable energy across greater distances.
From the article:
“We think this holds great promise for delivering some of the best winds in the country to other parts of the country,” said Patrick Pelstring, president and COO of National Renewable Solutions, a Wayzata, Minnesota-based developer of wind farms.