A state study shows that hooking Texas’ major cities up to the new “wind farms” could exceed $6 billion — that’s more than $260 for every man, woman and child. The cheapest option would set still Texans back $3 billion.
While the wind blows pretty regularly, and should certainly be in the mix, it isn’t a reliable source of consistent energy. As the Houston Chronicle reported, in February the state’s power grid managers had to take emergency action because weather patterns caused a decrease in wind speeds and could have forced rolling blackouts.
If the state’s Public Utilities Commission adopts one of the plans, it could take up to five years for the transmission lines to be built. So get ready for rate hikes coming to an electric bill near you.
