It’s for a good cause, though -– to build new transmission lines to carry wind-generated electricity from west Texas to Dallas. Someone has to pay for the $4.83 billion initiative, which means each of us will have about $4 tacked on to our bills each month. No word yet on when the fee will start or how long it will last.

Ideally, all of this extra electricity will increase supply, which should eventually lower the cost. Regular visitors here know how skeptical I am of the deregulated electricity market in Texas, so I don’t expect the price to go down. Still, we have the advantage of knowing Texas will be in the forefront of green electricity, which is impressive. Texas leads the country in wind-energy production, and when this transmission is built, we’ll produce more wind-generated electricity than the next 14 states combined.