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The Lone Star State is the home to most wind farms in the US. Texas added hundreds of wind farms across the state since 2008. The government invested $7 billion as early as 2008 in the transmission lines which carry the load from commercial-scale wind farms.
The investment had paid off, and the state’s wind farms are growing.
Landowners also receive a steady and reliable income from wind power generation. Leading renewable energy developers in the state pay an annual rent from $5,000 to $15,000 per turbine to landowners. As the state government widely supports renewable energy, counties can also rely on these farms for tax income.
West Texas has many commercial wind farms, which have a favorable location along the natural wind belt.
Below is more information on the five largest wind farms in Texas, other data on total installed capacity, and more information on the Texas wind power industry!
What is the biggest wind farm in Texas?
Texas has the fourth biggest wind farm in the US, also the largest in the lone star state–Los Vientos Wind Project.
The 912-MW wind farm, located in Starr County and Willacy County, is fourth in installed capacity after the Mojave Wind Farm in California, Western Spirit Wind, and Traverse Wind Farm.
The wind conditions allow Los Vientos to make it in the top 10 largest onshore wind farms globally.
What are the five largest wind farms in Texas?
The combined installed capacity of the five biggest wind farms in Texas is 3.6 GW–10% of the total capacity of wind power in the state.
The top five wind farms in Texas are multi-phase projects ranging from two to five phases. Developers installed most of these wind farms across county lines where hundreds of turbines line up across the windy plains.
The top five Texas wind farms are the following:
- Los Vientos Wind Farm
- Roscoe Wind Farm
- Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center
- Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm
- Sweetwater Wind Farm
Los Vientos Wind Farm
Duke Energy installed the Los Vientos Wind Farm in five phases across its lease area. As the fourth largest wind farm in the USA, the 912-MW wind farm installed 426 turbines.
Duke Energy completed the wind farm in 2016. The developer is focused on updating the farm with technology that will lower bat species’ deaths. Duke Energy will complete the installation by 2024. The wind farm is in Starr and Willacy County.
Roscoe Wind Farm
Roscoe Wind Farm is the second biggest wind farm in Texas. RWE built the wind farm in four phases and fully commissioned it in 2009.
The wind farm covers 100,000 acres or 404 square kilometers for its 627 turbines. It has an installed capacity of 781.5 MW using Mitsubishi 1.0 MW and GE 1.5 MW turbines.
The farm spans Nolan county, Mitchell, and Scurry county.
Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center
In 2007, FPL Energy commissioned Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center as the largest wind farm in the world. The wind farm has 735 MW of installed capacity across three phases, using 421 turbines. Horse Hollow is in Taylor and Nolan Counties.
Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm
NextEra Energy Resources installed the wind farm in two phases using 407 turbines. The total installed capacity is 662.5 MW. The wind farm first generated power in 2007 after the developer completed the first phase. NextEra fully commissioned the wind farm in 2008.
Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm is in Sterling and Coke Counties.
Sweetwater Wind Farm
Duke Energy installed Sweetwater Wind Farm in five phases using 392 turbines. The wind farm is in Sweetwater and Roscoe City.
Duke Energy built the wind across 85,460 or 345 square kilometers of rural area.
Where are most of the wind turbines in Texas?
Nolan Willacy Counties have multi-phase wind farms within their borders, making them the counties with the most wind farms. These are the top 5 counties with the most wind turbines.
- Nolan County – 1,411 turbines
- Scurry County – 649 turbines
- Carson County – 620 turbines
- Willacy County – 613 turbines
- Sterling County – 600 turbines
The top five counties in Texas with the most turbines have 3,893 turbines, accounting for 21.9% of all wind turbines in Texas.
How many windmills are in Texas?
There will be a total of 17,779 turbines in Texas in 2022. The top five wind farms have 2,273 turbines accounting for 12.8% of all the turbines in Texas.
Why are there many wind farms in Texas?
NextEra Energy Resources, Duke Energy Renewables, and GE Energy–some of the largest wind energy developers–invested in the lone star state.
The energy market in Texas is partly responsible for driving up investor confidence in wind farms. Because the free energy market of the state allows resellers and distributors to buy the lowest cost electricity from ERCOT, the wind farm operators can compete with coal and natural gas power stations when the winds are strong.
The terrain and large swathes of windy plains also make the expansion of wind farms possible. Los Vientos wind farm, for example, has 400 wind turbines installed throughout its five phases.
According to Amy Farrell of the American Wind Energy Association, developers build 99% of wind farms in rural areas. Texas has large tracts of land for farming and cattle that coexist with wind turbine infrastructure.
Lastly, Texas is in a favorable location of the natural wind belt. The average wind speed of 7 to 8.5 meters per second at 80 meters altitude is an ideal wind speed range and height. At 80 meters, winds freely move away from structures or terrain.
Who owns the top five largest wind farms in Texas?
RWE, a German company, owns the Roscoe Wind Farm.
NextEra Energy Resources owns Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm and Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center.
Duke Energy and Leeward Renewable Energy own the Sweetwater Wind Farm. Duke Energy also owns the Los Vientos Wind Project, the largest wind farm in Texas.