Texas Set New Record For Wind Energy
On March 5, 2010, the State of Texas set a new U.S. wind energy power production record–according to published reports, nearly 20% of the state’s electricity is now supplied to the main power grid from energy produced by wind turbines.
By comparison, in 2009, Texas received a little more than 6% of its electricity from wind energy, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the power grid for most of the state.
Texas, however, doesn’t have sufficient transmission lines for moving wind-generated power from the remote, windy areas of West Texas to metropolitan areas where demand is highest like Dallas, Houston, and Austin. The state plans to spend $5 billion to construct transmission lines across Texas during the next several years, according to published reports.
A 2008 U.S. Department of Energy report finds in order for the country to meet its goal of producing 20% of its electricity via smart, green-energy sources by 2030, heavy investment in new transmission lines are needed throughout the U.S.
In related news, developers of a proposed 320,000 square-foot wind farm in West Texas, Cielo Wind Power, are trying to receive a $450 million grant to develop turbines for the project. Some Texas senators object to construction of the turbines because the work would take place in China and create nearly 3,000 jobs overseas. According to the Dallas Morning News, Cielo Wind says 70% of the parts for each turbine will be made in the U.S.
“Hopefully, this is not a one-way street where China buys our debt and we buy a lot of things from China,” Cappy McGarr, who sits on the board of directors for the U.S. Renewable Energy Group, told the Dallas Morning News. “Hopefully, this is the beginning of a two-way street.”
Additionally, in a recent press release ERCOT said it is working on developing a wind-forecasting model, which may be the first of its kind in the world.
A map of the U.S. drawn by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) shows available measured wind data in the State of Texas, and the Alternative Energy Institute (AEI) at West Texas A&M University refined the map, showing Texas has the potential capacity to generate 524,800 megawatts—enough to exceed the state’s electricity needs by 493%, according to the Texas State Energy Conservation Office.
A recent New York Times article said, “Texas’s challenges may serve as a test case for the nation.”
The entire text of the ERCOT press release is available online at: http://www.ercot.com/news/press_releases/2010/nr-02-17-10
References:
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Texas wind project’s stimulus funds may stall over Chinese parts, jobs (Dallas Morning News)
Setting Wind Power Records in Texas (New York Times)
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