US unveils plans for giant renewable energy hub

One of the largest barriers to the development of renewable energy in the US could soon be removed, thanks to an ambitious new project to more effectively link areas rich in solar and wind energy resources to population centres across the country.

Unveiled last week, the Tres Amigas project in New Mexico aims to build a grid "super station" that will link the US three main energy grids - the East, West and Texas interconnections - providing them with the ability to transmit renewable energy between the different networks.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the new development, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said that the hub would "be the largest power converter in the world, making New Mexico the meeting place for America's electricity needs".

The Tres Amigas development will be located on a 22-square-mile site near the Texas border, and will feature a giant network of underground superconductor pipelines and AC/DC converters capable of transmitting energy and balancing power loads between the three grids.

Phil Harris, chief executive of Tres Amigas, LLC, the company behind the project, said that the hub would "truly open up the market for electricity generated from renewable sources of energy" allowing regions with surplus solar or wind power such as the Southeast or Midwest to sell energy to population centres on either coast.

"Tres Amigas will serve as a renewable energy market hub by connecting all three of America’s power grids to enable the transfer of green power from region to region," he said. "The system will also add a new dimension of reliability and security for US power supplies."

The company said it was now seeking approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), adding that construction on the project could begin as early as 2011. The hub could then be up and running by 2013 or 2014, initially enabling 5GW of energy to be transmitted before eventually being upgraded to around 30GW capacity.

The company also announced that it had inked a major partnership with US energy infrastructure giant American Superconductor Corporation that has seen it shell out $1.75 million to acquire a minority stake in the businesses and agree to supply the superconductor wire and cable system for the facility.

The project was welcomed by Denise Bode, chief executive of the American Wind Energy Association, who said that it would provide a significant boost to the industry. "For wind energy to grow significantly in the US, more transmission from locations where winds are strongest to population centres will be required, " she said. "New transmission technologies such as Superconductor Electricity Pipelines may alleviate some of the nation’s transmission challenges, and we are excited about the progress being made with this promising technology."