Wind Power Expansion
In another step forward for wind energy, on March 25, 2016 the Department of Energy (“DOE”) approved Clean Line Energy’s Plains & Eastern Line transmission project, which connects wind power generation facilities in Western Oklahoma to the customers of the Southeastern United States. Construction is estimated to begin in 2017, and the project is expected to be completed in 2020. The transmission line is expected to deliver 4,000 megawatts of wind energy to the southeast, and stretches approximately 700 miles. The transmission line is estimated to cost approximately $2.5 billion and will create the opportunity for an additional $7 billion in potential wind farm development. The approval of the Plains & Eastern Line transmission project is seen as another positive development for the wind power sector as it continues to increase its percentage of the energy mix across the United States.
