Xcel energy is seeking approval for new wind farms in the Texas Panhandle. If the plans are approved, the new turbines—along with a new farm planned for New Mexico, would generate 40 percent of the region’s power needs by 2021.
In an editorial for North American Wind Power,Betsy Lillian says the new project would power almost half a million homes. She attributes the viability of the project to Xcel’s previous investment in a high-voltage transmission network in the Texas Panhandle.
She writes that these investments in wind technology will lead to consumer savings in the long run, as more low-cost wind energy is brought online. According to the Xcel, the company’s proposed wind farms in Texas and New Mexico would create 600 construction jobs and between 40 to 50 full-time operational positions.