Texas Approves Massive Wind Power Project
Texas officials gave preliminary approval Thursday to the nation's largest wind-power project, a plan to build billions of dollars worth of new transmission lines to bring wind energy from gusty West Texas to urban areas.
Texas is already the national leader in wind power, and supporters say Thursday's move by the Public Utility Commission will make the Lone Star State a leader in moving energy to the urban areas that consume it.
"We will add more wind than the 14 states following Texas combined," said PUC Commissioner Paul Hudson. "I think that's a very extraordinary achievement. Some think we haven't gone far enough, some think we've pushed too far."
Environmentalist and consumer groups called the move a critical expansion of the "renewable energy superhighway," predicting it will spur wind energy projects, create jobs, reduce energy costs and reduce pollution.
Texas electric customers will bear the cost of the $4.9 billion plan over the next several years, paying about $4 more per month on their electric bills, according to Tom Smith, director of the Texas office of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.
State officials, however, say those increases could be several years away, and the payments would be no different than the current system of paying for new transmission lines from power plants.
The 2-1 vote by the PUC, however, didn't commit to as large a project as some environmental groups and state lawmakers had wanted. The plan would transmit a little more than half the energy some advocated.
Texas already generates about 5,000 megawatts of wind power, more than any other state. The new plan would add transmission lines to boost capacity to about 18,000 megawatts.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas says one megawatt of power provides enough electricity for 500 to 700 average homes under normal conditions in Texas, or about 200 homes during hot weather.
"The capacity for wind generation in west and north Texas is so great that we could position ourselves in Texas to be the world leader in wind and renewable energy in the next 100 years, just as we were the world leader in oil and gas for the past 100 years," Democratic state Rep. Mark Strama said earlier this week.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Texas is already the national leader in wind power, and supporters say Thursday's move by the Public Utility Commission will make the Lone Star State a leader in moving energy to the urban areas that consume it.
"We will add more wind than the 14 states following Texas combined," said PUC Commissioner Paul Hudson. "I think that's a very extraordinary achievement. Some think we haven't gone far enough, some think we've pushed too far."
Environmentalist and consumer groups called the move a critical expansion of the "renewable energy superhighway," predicting it will spur wind energy projects, create jobs, reduce energy costs and reduce pollution.
Texas electric customers will bear the cost of the $4.9 billion plan over the next several years, paying about $4 more per month on their electric bills, according to Tom Smith, director of the Texas office of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.
State officials, however, say those increases could be several years away, and the payments would be no different than the current system of paying for new transmission lines from power plants.
The 2-1 vote by the PUC, however, didn't commit to as large a project as some environmental groups and state lawmakers had wanted. The plan would transmit a little more than half the energy some advocated.
Texas already generates about 5,000 megawatts of wind power, more than any other state. The new plan would add transmission lines to boost capacity to about 18,000 megawatts.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas says one megawatt of power provides enough electricity for 500 to 700 average homes under normal conditions in Texas, or about 200 homes during hot weather.
"The capacity for wind generation in west and north Texas is so great that we could position ourselves in Texas to be the world leader in wind and renewable energy in the next 100 years, just as we were the world leader in oil and gas for the past 100 years," Democratic state Rep. Mark Strama said earlier this week.
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Because wind power generation efficiency has leaped forward over the past decades, wind energy plant costs remain stable despite scaling of capacity. Investment costs are comparatively lower than for any other power source except, perhaps, solar.
With inherently unstable global politics to provide speculators a new rationale for raising prices, a paltry $4 monthly on each Texas household''s energy bill will seem a good investment.
For all the publicity about wind energy, however, note how little Bush leadership from the federal level is involved. This poses a stark contrast to his record as Texas governor, when he backed wind power.
After Bush entered office in 2001, running on Big Oil money, gas was $1.00 per gallon. After creating chaos in the MidEast with his fraudulent invasion of Iraq-- all to capture Iraq as a source of profits for the oil lobby-- gas is now over $5.00 per gallon.
Big Oil now has the best of both worlds-- more gas to sell, and at any price it wishes.
It has been determined that much of the wind will be coming from the town of Crawford Texas, especially in the area near the Great Emperor''s ranch. It is believed that since the Great Emperor will be spending more time at his ranch beginning next year, that "hot air" gusts will increase dramatically from that location, especially when the Great Emperor entertains his "favorites", Karl Rove, John Boltun, VP Darth Vader Cheney, and Alberto "The Great Gonzo" Gonzales.
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!!
sig heil, MORE HOT AIR FROM ARIZONA, McCain!!!!!
Posted by nokoolaid at 11:37 AM : Jul 18, 2008
You must be Don Quixote - jousting windmills again.
Posted by nokoolaid at 11:37 AM : Jul 18, 2008
You must be Don Quixote - jousting windmills again.
The PUC "Public Usery Commission" always votes to raise the rates we pay for power when the big enery providers ask, but when it comes to energy conservation, they can''t commit 100%. Go figure. There are tons of windmills in west Texas out by Lubbock, and I''d rather look at them that at oil and gas rigs.
aaaw dude should of guessed you where stoned and stupid.that explains the lack of meaningful words.