Save Our Scenic Hill Country Environment (SOSHCE) will be hosting a meeting July 16th to educate landowners about industrial wind development in Mason and Menard Counties. SOSHE’s recent member update also includes information about attempted legislation to end CREZ, the Blumenthal line and other news related to wind development, transmission and scenic blight.
From Save Our Scenic Hill Country Environment:
Member Updates
July 7, 2015
Please attend July 16 Mason Industrial Wind Development Public Meeting
There is significant concern that industrial wind development could still proceed in Mason and Menard counties. SOSHCE is continuing to actively support the group of local landowners that is opposing the project.
One of the related activities is a public meeting to increase awareness and to provide additional information to all of those that could be impacted by the project. The meeting will be at 6 pm on Thursday, July 16 at the Richard P. Eckert Civic Center in Mason. Dr. Paul Burns, a Brown County rancher, will be the featured speaker.
Please contribute to SOSHCE to help support Mason opposition efforts
Other SOSHCE support includes providing financial assistance for the Mason environmental and legal activities. This financial assistance represents the first significant SOSHCE expenditures that have occurred for several years. Checks can be made out to SOSHCE and mailed to SOSHCE, 208 W. Ledge Stone Dr., Fredericksburg, TX 78624.
Other Updates
The southeastern Gillespie County Blumenthal substation and 138-kV transmission line project continues to progress. A large number of intervenors are engaged in the Public Utility Commission (PUC) process. The Hearing on the Merits for the project was held May 26-29. The Administrative Law Judges will issue their proposal for decision (recommended route) in mid-September. It is anticipated that the PUC Commissioners will make a final decision on a route at their open meeting in October or November.
The second Central Texas wind farm is under construction in Comanche County. The Logan’s Gap Wind project will have a total capacity of 200 megawatts. It will consist of 87 2.3 MW turbines. A landowners group is opposing a possible second phase which could extend into Brown County.
Industrial wind proponents continue to lobby for an extension of the federal Production Tax Credit. While the credit expired at the end of 2014, developers may have as long as the end of 2016 or even longer to complete projects. SOSHCE continues to support activities that would terminate the credit.
The Texas Senate passed legislation sponsored by Senator Troy Fraser that recognized that the renewables goals in Texas have been greatly exceeded and that the related $6.9 billion CREZ transmission project has been completed. Relatively small related Renewable Energy Credits available to wind energy producers would have ended in general and future transmission projects would have reverted to the normal PUC process. Unfortunately, the Texas House did not take action on the bill before the session ended in May.
Please let us know if you have any comments or questions by sending an email to
timberg@ctesc.net.