(Hale County) - A rural electric provider will build 170 megawatts of new, quick-responding generators in a move county officials hope will entice more wind development.

Golden Spread Electric Cooperative Inc. will build a plant powered by 18 9-megawatt natural gas generators about three miles north of the Lubbock County line, outside of Abernathy.

The generators will give the cooperative more flexibility as its customer demand grows and allow the company to take advantage of increased wind development, company officials said.

The more than $200 million construction plans should not increase rates for Lubbock customers of South Plains Electric Cooperative, said James Driver, executive vice president and general manager. South Plains power comes from Golden Spread purchases.

Wind has become a bigger part of the more than 700 megawatts of power the cooperative purchases through other sources.

But wind can make the market do unpredictable things. When strong winds spin turbines, electric prices drop to attractive levels. If wind speeds wane, more expensive power sources replace the renewable energy.

Natural gas generators like the 18 Golden Spread proposed can fire up much more quickly than less expensive but lumbering coal plants. The quick response makes them an attractive backup to cheaper wind sources.