Location: Texas, USA

Falcon Steel America’s Contribution

Lead by Oncor, the electrical transmission provider in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the largest member of the CREZ consortium, Falcon Steel America was awarded the opportunity to collaborate on the largest transmission project in the history of Texas, given our experience and expertise on delivering complex and time-sensitive projects.

These CREZ projects represented more than 1,000 miles of 345kV lattice transmission lines (approx. 64,000 tons) and 30 substations (approx. 7,500 tons). Working together with Oncor, Nucor and Chapman Construction, Falcon Steel was able to fabricate and construct this portion in less than 5 years.

Project Facts:

• Project Start Date—1/28/09
• Project End Date—7/18/13
• Total Weight Lattice Towers —126,573,352#—63,287  Tons
• Tower Bodies—4,045
• Total Weight Shortages & Mis-Fabs Lattice Towers—186,520# (0.14% of the entire project)
• All 30 Substations consisted of new design and standard design fabrication of 345kV A-Frame dead end, H-Frame Dead end and various types of low side support structures which consisted of approximately 7,500 tons.

Project Description

In response to legislative action, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) issued order 33672 in 2008. The PUC assigned $4.93 billion of CREZ (competitive renewable energy zone) transmission projects to be constructed by seven transmission and distribution utilities.

A CREZ is a geographic area where wind generation facilities will be constructed. In 2008, PUC issued order 33672 designating five CREZs for the generation of wind power and defining the required transmission upgrades to deliver wind-generated energy to Texas consumers.

CREZ projects are primarily designed to move electricity generated by renewable energy sources (primarily wind) from the remote parts of Texas (i.e., West Texas and the Texas Panhandle) to the more heavily populated areas of Texas (e.g., Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio).

However, several of these lines will also provide transmission infrastructure necessary to meet the long-term needs of the growing area west of the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Killeen. In addition, more clean energy will be brought to customers, which will improve air quality in Texas.

The project will eventually transmit 18,456 megawatts (MW) of wind power from West Texas and the Panhandle to highly populated metropolitan areas of the state.