What is Pampa Wind Project?
[[T. Boone Pickens]], a former [[Texas]] oilman, is planning to build the world's largest [[wind farm]], called the '''Pampa Wind Project''', as part of the [[Pickens Plan]]. It will be developed by Pickens' company, [[Mesa Power]]. The proposed 4,000 MW facility will be located near Pampa, Texas, which is on the [[Texas Panhandle]], and will stretch to the east, spanning 400,000 acres in five counties. This will provide enough power for 1.5 million average homes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.genewscenter.com/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=3601&NewsAreaID=2|title=Mesa Power places world's largest single-site wind turbine purchase order|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1394347/pickens_bets_2_billion_on_wind_power_project/|title=Pickens Bets $2 Billion on Wind Power Project|publisher=}}</ref> When it was planned, it would have been the largest wind farm in the United States. As of May 2008, the largest U.S. wind plant is the [[Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center]] with a capacity of 736 MW. Electric transmission lines must connect wind farms to the places where the electricity is used. People fought over whether wind farm owners or electricity users should pay to build these lines. On July 17, 2008, the [[Texas Public Utilities Commission]] ruled that ratepayers should pay $4.93 billion to build the lines to connect wind farms in the Texas Panhandle to the Texas electric grid.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/20/business/19wind.php |first=Kate |last=Galbraith |date=2008-07-20 |title=Texas approves a $4.93 billion wind-power project |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |quote=Transmission companies will pay the upfront costs of the project. They will recoup the money from power users, at a rate of about $4 a month for residential customers.|accessdate=2011-01-06}}</ref> This implements a 2005 Texas law designed to promote new wind energy projects.<ref>http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2008/2008-07-18-094.asp {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/w