LCRA BOARD APPROVES $885 MILLION BUSINESS PLAN
The Board of Directors for the Lower Colorado River Authority, the supplier of Brenham's electricity, approved an $885 million business plan for 2018.
The board also approved $383 million for capital spending in the fiscal year for energy, water and public service projects to support a growing region.
LCRA, which manages the six Highland Lakes and the lower Colorado River, is making significant investments to increase regional water supplies and plans about $101 million in capital spending for water projects in FY 2018.
Two of the Highland Lakes – lakes Buchanan and Travis – are LCRA’s water supply reservoirs for the region, providing drinking water for more than 1 million people and water to industries, businesses, the environment and agriculture in the lower Colorado River basin.
“These business and capital plans will help us continue to serve this growing region with vital services in a cost-effective manner,” said LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson. “As always, we provide these services – water, electricity and public services – with a focus on safety and reliability.”
Amid forecasts for growing water demands in the region, LCRA is building the first new water supply reservoir in the lower Colorado River basin in decades. Construction on the Lane City Reservoir in Wharton County is on time and under budget.
LCRA expects to bring the new reservoir on-line in late 2018. The reservoir could add up to 90,000 acre-feet of firm water to the region’s supply, benefitting the entire region by helping reduce demands on the Highland Lakes. Firm water is available even during a severe drought.
Additionally, an $8 million federal partnership will help LCRA construct a new, smaller reservoir in Colorado County. The Prairie Conservation Reservoir in Eagle Lake will increase the efficiency of LCRA’s irrigation operations and help conserve water. The project will include a 2,000 acre-foot, off-channel reservoir and a possible new pump station on land LCRA owns.
Over the next five years, LCRA will continue investing in dam rehabilitation projects to keep its dams operating safely and reliably for generations to come. Major projects are underway at Mansfield and Buchanan dams to provide for their continued safe and effective operation, which is critical for water supplies and flood management in the basin.
As one of the largest transmission services providers in Texas, LCRA Transmission Services Corporation is helping to make electric service in Texas more reliable and supporting the growing need for power throughout the state. LCRA TSC plans capital spending of nearly $256 million in FY 2018 and, over the next five years, intends to invest about $1.1 billion to build new transmission facilities and improve existing ones.
LCRA TSC is continuing to meet the need for power in Texas through a variety of projects, including connecting the Zorn and Marion substations in Guadalupe County and constructing a new 138-kilovolt transmission line in Gillespie and Kendall counties.
LCRA is the primary wholesale provider of electricity in Central Texas, selling wholesale electricity through long-term contracts with retail utilities, including cities and electric cooperatives. LCRA strives to offer a competitive Wholesale Power rate and help its wholesale electric customers achieve their pricing goals.
“These plans and our five-year vision offer a road map that will enable us to become even better at fulfilling our mission of enhancing the lives of the Texans we serve,” said Timothy Timmerman, chair of the LCRA Board of Directors. “We take great pride in that decades-long tradition, and these plans keep us on track to continue that service.”
The LCRA 2018 fiscal year begins July 1. The 2018 LCRA business and capital plans are available at http://www.lcra.org/about/financial-highlights/Pages/business-plan.aspx.