Wind Energy – New Texas Gold?
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The benefits of wind energy are something we’ve all been hearing a lot about lately and in some parts of the US, this renewable energy technology may be able to meet a significant portion of the demand. Other than the obvious good that using wind power can do for the environment, there are a lot of Texan oil companies which are beginning to diversify into wind. Keep reading for a look at the rise of wind energy in Texas and elsewhere across the country.
T. Boone Pickens made his fortune in oil, but this Texas oilman is now throwing his backing to using wind power in Texas. There are also wind farms showing up in Midwestern states and in Oregon, General Electric has just signed a $1.5 billion, ten year contract to supply a wind farm with turbines and maintenance services. When wind gets this kind of attention from the likes of GE and Pickens, it means there’s money to be made in wind.
The US imports around 70% of the oil we use; and many argue that we need to become independent of foreign suppliers. Combined with the public awareness of the negative effects of burning fossil fuels, wind power has been getting more and more interest. Natural gas, a fossil fuel the US has larger reserves of is being examined as an alternative to foreign energy supplies along with an assist from renewable energies like wind power.
In some areas of Texas, it’s possible to drive for nearly 150 miles and see turbines all over the place. While not everyone loves how wind turbines look, there are just as many who look at these structures and see a future where the US can be energy independent. In Nolan County, Texas there are 1,500 wind generators in operation (which is approximately $5 billion worth of renewable energy technology). In this county alone, more energy is generated per year using wind power than is produced in the entire state of California.
Other areas in the state of Texas are having similar wind booms. The Rolling Plains region has two thousand turbines in operation, and Midland and Odessa’s Permian Basin region produces about six thousand megawatts of electricity from three thousand turbines. New towers in some areas are going up at the rate of three to four a day.
Wind makes an excellent substitute for natural gas in electricity production, and is renewable, unlike fossil fuels. It also produces no pollution while generating that electricity, though the turbines themselves are still made by industrial processes. Oil barons and environmentalists alike are supporting these plans, in an attempt to reduce environmental damage from fossil fuel burning and decrease dependence on foreign oil. Add in solar energy, for when the wind’s not blowing, and the nation’s power requirements will be increased even more.
Is wind the answer for all of our energy needs? Not everyone will give you the same answer, but it’s already used in many regions and becoming an increasingly important part of our energy supplies by the day.
About the author: J. Dyess has been specializing in the Texas Electricity market segment for many years and written articles on Texas Electric prices.
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