WEST TEXAS (KWES) - With more equipment on the oil field, more electricity is going to be used.
"A lot of electricity in this country now comes from the burning of fossil fuels whether its coal or oil and gas provides a huge amount of electricity. So, it's kind of a cycle you need power to be able to create power," said Stephen Robertson, Executive Vice President, Permian Basin Petroleum Association.
The Delaware Basin area is expected to have the biggest projected growth. Back in 2010, the area had more than 22 megawatts, but now those numbers are expected to grow more than ever.
"This year, we are expecting that's going to be over 300 megawatts, and by the year 2022 its going to be over 1,000 megawatts, so that's a tremendous amount of growth for that area," said Jeff Billo, Manager of Transmission Planning for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. ("ERCOT")
"We are producing two times the crude than we were a few decades ago," said Robertson.
The Permian Basin Petroleum Association says the problem of not having enough electricity is not a new issue when it comes to the energy industry.
"The oil and gas industry needs a power source to operate, and one of the most reliable if not the most reliable is electricity," said Robertson.
