EnergyOnline
Services

RSS FEED

EnergyOnline.com rss

News

SPP's Western Expansion Set for Implementation on April 1

LCG, March 13, 2026--The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) announced yesterday that leaders from the participating organizations voted unanimously to proceed as planned with expanding its regional transmission organization (RTO) services into the Western Interconnection. SPP sees the decision to proceed as planned as a strong signal of confidence as SPP and its partner utilities prepare for this key milestone, which will occur overnight between March 31 and April 1.

Read more

Entergy Estimates Customer Savings of $5B from "Fair Share Plus" Data Center Agreements

LCG, March 6, 2026--Entergy yesterday announced approximately $5 billion in total savings for 2.3 million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi resulting from data center customer agreements in those states. Entergy, which completed its first data center customer agreement in 2024, projects the customer savings over the next 20 years and after the regulatory approval or acknowledgement of the public service commissions in those states.

Read more

Industry News

AEP Finishes Building Texas Wind Farm

LCG, Nov. 20, 2001--American Electric Power Co. Inc. said this morning that it had completed one of the largest wind farms in the U.S. as "the first step toward strategic growth in renewable generation."

AEP said it has finished building the 150 megawatt (nameplate capacity) Trent Mesa Wind Project near Abilene, Texas, which began producing electricity last summer. The wind farm, the fourth largest now operating in the United States, includes 100 wind turbines, each standing 328 feet tall on about 13 square miles. Construction of the wind farm cost approximately $160 million, the company said.

Before making the investment, AEP made sure it had a buyer for the power. "We are actively working to increase the renewable portion of AEP's generation portfolio, following the same model we use for any generation project -- securing a contract for the power before we build the plant," said Thomas Shockley, chief operating officer.

AEP said it expects Trent Mesa to generate more than 590 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, which would represent a capacity factor of 44.9 percent -- probably out of reach for any wind farm. In a 1995 report, the California Energy Commission said the wind farms in that state produced only 18 percent of their nameplate capacity. Some backers of wind power claim that a capacity factor of 35 percent is possible, but production figures over a multi-year period have yet to back them up.

Shockley noted that Trent Mesa is the first significant wind farm in AEP's generation portfolio and said it "showcases AEP's wide array of capabilities. We developed the project, determined the appropriate site and negotiated a long-term contract for the electricity."

But AEP will not let green power go to its head. "Wind is a viable energy source, but it may not be the right choice for all areas," Shockley said. "It is vital for our nation's energy security that all sources of electricity generation -- coal, gas, nuclear, hydro and wind or other renewables -- continue to play a role in the total generation mix."

Copyright © 2026 LCG Consulting. All rights reserved. Terms and Copyright
UPLAN-NPM
The Locational Marginal Price Model (LMP) Network Power Model
Uniform Storage Model
A Battery Simulation Model
UPLAN-ACE
Day Ahead and Real Time Market Simulation
UPLAN-G
The Gas Procurement and Competitive Analysis System
PLATO
Database of Plants, Loads, Assets, Transmission...
CAISO CRR Auctions
Monthly Price and Congestion Forecasting Service