Xcel Energy has plans to expand wind energy resources and save people on the South Plains money.
The company plans to generate wind energy at two new facilities, and Spokesperson Wes Reeves said energy customers could save about 2.8 billion dollars over the next 30 years.
“The driver behind this is that wind energy is now our cheapest resource. We generate electricity with coal and natural gas, and wind energy primarily,” Reeves said.
Xcel is the number one energy provider in the country, and is planning on completing the expansion by 2020.
“We know we’re going to need more energy in the future as the region grows, and this will help displace some of the higher costs of energy that we have on the system…those savings pass directly on to customers,” Reeves said.
Reeves told EverythingLubbock.com there will be a lot of beneficial outcomes from the project.
“The South Plains stands to gain a lot from this, it does help these rural areas immensely with land values, with tax revenues, economic developments…so we’re really excited that it’s a home-grown type of energy.”
American Wind Power Center Expert Coy Harris said it will take time to feel the effects of the energy expansion, but those effects will be well worth the wait.
“Excel has done a very good job at managing their power requirements and where they’re getting their power from. Their investments in these wind farms will help a great deal,” Harris said, “And over time these things will pay for themselves…[It’ll be a great feeling] when we’re paying our electric bill and we can go out and feel the wind on our face and say ‘Hey, we’re generating something.'”
