Update from Pecos Energy disappointing
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

Jasper County commissioners met in special session Nov. 30 primarily to receive an update from Ken Williams of Pecos Renewable Energy regarding the development of wind farms on Jasper County school lands.

County Judge Mark Allen said after the meeting that he was disappointed that Williams "did not have any of the wind speed reports or wind generation data that he had advised he was going to present."

Instead, Williams advised the court that Pecos Energy has activated certain options in the lease agreement and will go forward with development that may lead to production of 300-400 megawatts of energy.

Allen said attorney Brad Miller in Midland is reviewing the lease agreements and documents that date back to 2003 when the county first began negotiations on wind energy agreements.

Home program

In other business, the court voted to pay McDonald's for the five mobile homes ordered under the TDHCA grant for victims of Hurricane Rita, even though only two are installed to date.

The first two homes were installed quickly because the occupants qualified for an outright forgivable grant, while the other three must go through closing on a 30-year repayable low-interest loan. Paying for the homes now will save the county three percent, approximately $1,225 per unit, in storage fees.

Both of the first two homes came in under budget. The county must now submit cost of the units, demolition, and installation costs to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for reimbursement.

Allen told the court that TDHCA is not used to dealing with disaster recovery and that no entity in the state has yet made a draw on this grant program; Jasper is likely to be the first.

Underground tanks

Commissioners also heard from Sun Coast, who recently bought much of Wade Dover's oil and gas business. They informed the court that the transaction does not include the in-ground fuel tanks located at the sheriff's office and the Precinct 2 county barn, and that why were not interested in assuming liability for those tanks.

Several commissioners expressed concern that, while the tanks are not currently a problem, the county does not want to assume responsibility either, but the Sun Coast representative said that, while the tanks still belongs to Dover, ultimately the landowner is responsible for them.