Plenty of power, not enough lines

Texas is not California. But a shortage of transmission lines, especially around Dallas, could cause blackouts, higher utility bills, and other problems when Texas deregulates its electric utilities on Jan. 1, 2002. These warnings come from a report by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the state’s power grid. Current Texas power plants should keep pace with the demand for electricity, and 27 more plants are under construction; however, that power may not be able to travel where it’s needed.

Texas’ already strained transmission system faces new challenges with deregulation. Some of the chief bottlenecks occur when power moves from south to north and into the Metroplex. The state expects new transmission-line construction to alleviate most problems, but industry experts criticize regulators for forging ahead with deregulation before the state was ready.

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