The best wind resources in the country are found across the Midwest, from North Dakota to Texas. The Southeast can benefit from the Midwest’s wind speeds by importing high capacity factor, low-cost electricity from those wind farms into our Southeast power markets.
Existing Imports into the Southeast
Wind imports are abundant in the Southeast, and for good reason; long term power purchase agreements have been signed for as low as $1.8c/kWh. Currently, there are power purchase agreements for nearly 4,000 MW of wind imports into the Southeast.
When wind imports from the Midwest are combined with wind development in the Southeast, a more diversified power generation profile is created, adding to the stability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of our grid.
The majority of transmission lines that carry power across the country are alternating current (AC). Most wind imports travel this way, through existing transmission lines. However, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power lines act as a super highway, sending power from wind projects directly to the grids where they will be used. HVDC projects are ideal for bulk power transfer over long distances, as they have lower losses, and have lower environmental impact than traditional AC transmission lines.
Pattern Development has proposed a 400-mile HVDC project that would transmit wind from multiple projects in Texas, across Louisiana and into Mississippi. Pattern would pay both Mississippi and Louisiana over $441 million in property taxes over the 30-year lifetime of the project, create hundreds of jobs during construction, all while providing the Southeast with low-cost, reliable electricity.