Holy Cross Energy has the energy for 90% emissions free milestone, but it can’t get it from this wind farm to its markets hundreds of miles to the west.
by Allen Best
Holy Cross Energy has had roughly 80% emission-free electricity since May. Sometime in the next year it expects to be at 90%, although possibly not until 2027.
That additional 10% will come from the electricity generated by the Bronco Plains II wind project, which is located along Interstate 70 near Seibert, about two hours east of Denver.
The project has 72 turbines with a collective nameplate capacity of 200 megawatts.
Holy Cross had expected to be at 90% now, but transmission constraints have prevented that. Jenna Weatherred, the vice president for member and community relations, says “There are actually multiple transmission constraints that impact getting power from the project to Holy Cross, each with seasonal fluctuations based on grid conditions,” she says.
Completion of the second and third segments of the Colorado Power Pathway, Xcel Energy’s 550-mile transmission sweep around eastern Colorado, will allow Holy Cross to access the wind power and cross the 90% threshold. Those segments are expected to be completed next year.
However, it’s possible the transmission capacity will not be available until the fourth and fifth segments are completed. That is currently expected to happen in 2027.
“So much of this is out of our control that I can only commit to saying we are continuing to add renewable content to our power supply each year, and time will tell when we reach 90%, but it will be sometime before 2030,” she wrote in an e-mail.
The above photo from October 2023 is of either the Bronco Plains I or Bronco Plains II wind projects of Seibert. In other words, if the wind from these turbines don’t end up powering the ski lifts at Vail and Aspen, Beaver Creek and Snowmass, it is coming from the same area.
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Transmission capacity on most lines can be increased when the wind blows and when it’s cold because it’s the sag in a hot line which often limits amperage. DLE or “Dynamic Line Rating.”
These conditions correlate with the generation of, and need for, wind power by HCE.
Xcel Colorado piloted “Linevision” a few years ago for this, and this would seem like an opportunity to deploy it. There are also other technologies which appear to use less expensive sensors. These have be piloted and already deployed and utilized by Xcel’s Minnesota “competition.” https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/magic-ball-helps-minnesotas-electrical-grid/89-30fcd180-faab-4069-a22d-9017c1100a3d
So maybe we should not need to wait for the big, honking, giant prairie powerline (which we do eventually want/need) to get more power from a few more wind turbines near Limon?