---------------------- Forwarded by Christopher Watts/NA/Enron on 03/29/2001 
04:04 PM ---------------------------


"Chris Watts" <cwatts3@houston.rr.com> on 03/29/2001 01:55:28 PM
To: <christopher.watts@enron.com>
cc:  

Subject: SPP PROPOSED TRANSMISSION LINES

  
DJ Southwest Power Pool To Study 6 New Transmission Lines 
Copyright , 2001 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. 

HOUSTON (Dow Jones)--A working group within the Southwest Power Pool 
identified six new transmission lines with an estimated price tag of $240 
million needed to ease the region's constrained high-voltage grid. 
     Last week, the SPP work group voted to proceed with a more detailed 
analysis of each project. Most of the new lines would take at least three 
years to develop and build. 
     The projects include: 
     - A 60-mile, 345-kilovolt line in northern Missouri running from the 
Fairhope substation to Sibley substation. Cost: $22.2 million. 
     - A 30-mile, 345-kv line in eastern Kansas running from Wolf Creek 
Nuclear Power Station to the Lang substation. Cost: $23.8 million. 
     - A 32-mile, 345-kv line in northern Oklahoma running from the Sooner 
Power Station to the Cleveland substation. Cost: $23.8 million. 
     - A 275-mile, 345-kv line in northern Texas and central Oklahoma 
connecting the Potter substation to Northwest substation. Cost: $79.2 
million. 
     - A 50-mile, 230-kv line in southern Louisiana running from Cajun Power 
Station to Coughlin Power Station. Cost: $37.4 million. 
     - A 70-mile, 345-kv line in northern Arkansas running from St. Francis 
Power station to Independence Power Station Cost: $57.3 million. 
     SPP's transmission assessment working group has been meeting to identify 
needed system upgrades since March 2000. 
     A total of 23 known system constraints were analyzed. Seventeen upgrade 
options were studied for their potential to benefit bulk system transfer 
capability. 
     The working group identified the six new transmission lines as the most 
beneficial, officials said. 
     Detailed analysis of each new line and further recommendations will be 
made to the SPP engineering and operating committeein the fall. 
     Currently, SPP has some 50,000 miles of transmission lines and requests 
more than 11,000 megawatts of new generation to be constructed during the 
next three years in the eight-state region, said SPP President John 
Marschewski. 
     "As a result, there will be a need for new transmission lines," he said. 
     SPP, which seeks to gain final approval of its regional transmission 
organization this week from federal regulators, is ready to move forward to 
coordinate the planning process for new transmission, said Marschewski. 
     The SPP grid is often paralyzed by transmission-line relief requests 
from utilities, particularly in the spring when seasonal generation outages 
occur, said Marschewski. 
     While the regional council has attempted to put incentives in the market 
to encourage generation redispatch to avoid TLR events, "those options 
haven't been exercised to any significant amount so far," said Marschewski. 
     SPP has worked to coordinate generation outages to minimize problems, 
but if the region sees plant outages this summer, TLR events could occur, he 
said. 
     SPP includes Kansas and Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, New 
Mexico, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. 
     -By Eileen O'Grady, Dow Jones Newswires; 713-547-9213; 
mailto:eileen.ogrady@dowjones.com 
     (END) Dow Jones Newswires 27-03-01 
     1605GMT 
 
Enron
Analyst, East Power Desk
1400 Smith St.
Houston, TX 77002-7361
ph:  713-853-4292
christopher.watts@enron.com
fax:  713-345-7384