Alternative energy needs a means of transmission

 Editorial

Alternative energy needs a means of transmission

If the state wants to attract new energy companies and power sources,
it must seek ways to deliver electricity to consumers.
By The Denver Post
10/23/2008


For Colorado to truly embrace and harness alternative energy, it needs
something much less sophisticated and wholesome-sounding than
windmills and solar plants. It needs the power lines to connect the
new energy sources that often are in distant and isolated places.

We are cautiously optimistic about a plan by Xcel Energy and Tri-State
Generation and Transmission Association to build electrical-
transmission lines to such far-flung locations as the sun-soaked San
Luis Valley to the windswept plains towns of Lamar, Burlington and
Limon. Already we're seeing experiments with alternative energy in
some of these places, such as a small solar plant in the San Luis
Valley and a large wind farm near Lamar.

As Post reporter Greg Griffin reported this week, Xcel and Tri-State
want to start stringing lines in 2010 and have the newest addition to
the power grid completed by 2014. This is an ambitious idea. Hundreds
of miles separate areas that are increasingly being developed to
transform sunlight, water and wind and possibly nuclear to electrical
power. The plan is helped by the fact the lines also could be used for
additional old-energy coal or natural-gas-powered plants, an aspect
important to the partners.

Ambitious or not, such lines are needed if the state, along with the
region, wants to continue to attract the kind of companies that build
the new-energy technologies and innovative new plants.

But due diligence must be done. Though no figures were given this
week, the lines won't come cheap, their cost will be passed on to
consumers, and, well, times are hard.

A 2007 law requires Xcel to develop construction plans to improve
transmission capacity in five areas the law calls "energy resource
zones" that have the all the wind and sun needed but which lack
connectivity. This partnership sounds like a useful start in that
direction.

We look forward to seeing the plans once they're submitted to the
Public Utilities Commission, where we expect they'll get a thorough
review.

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_10799040