Renewable power demand feeds growth of transmission firms in Houston - Houston Chronicle
Renewable power demand feeds growth of transmission firms in Houston
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John Arnold of Arnold Ventures. The billionaire Houston philanthropist, former hedge fund manager and former energy trader, backed the launch of Grid United in 2021 Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Show More Show Less Part of Pattern Energy's Western Spirit Transmission line that went into operation in late 2021 to help deliver 800 megawatts of wind power to the electric grid in New Mexico. Courtesy of Pattern Energy
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Cary Kottler, chief development officer at Pattern Energy. The company has been developing a 320-mile transmission line from the Texas border into Mississippi. Pattern is headquartered in California but has its operations center in Houston Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer
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Transmission towers are seen in Houston, Texas. Power demand in Texas is expected to set new all-time highs as heatwaves surge to levels rarely seen outside of summer, and economic growth contributes to higher usage in homes and businesses. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has said that it has enough resources to meet demand. Brandon Bell, Staff / Getty Images
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A large utility pole at the corner of Fairview and Park in Montrose. The pole is part of an ongoing project to upgrade energy transmission structures in the area. It is located in the city road right of way. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer
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Consider the U.S. city of the future: Electric cars zip around downtowns stocked with a network of fast charging stations, passing homes filled with electric appliances all while sharing the road with a fully electric public transportation system.
Such electrification of transportation, homes and commercial buildings is the cornerstone of federal policies meant to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Yet fossil fuels are integral to the production of electricity, part of a process that accounts for 25 percent of greenhouse gas emission in the country, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
To help address that, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included a suite of incentives to encourage more wind and solar farms that feed power into the nation’s web of electricity grids.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate legislation
The federal government and states are in the process of implementing two laws — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act — an investment of more than a trillion dollars to address climate change.