Texas consumes and produces the most energy among American states. This makes Wind Energy in Texas an excellent choice for future energy developments!
It was in 1999 when the wind industry started in Texas. In the following years, legislation and investments gradually grew the wind industry. Texas now relies on the wind for a significant portion of its electricity generation.
In Texas’ wind industry, corporate investments complement the government, too. Amazon, Google, GM, Walmart, Nestle, Facebook, and Nike have contracted 39% of total wind capacity in Texas. Some of the biggest companies invested in Texas also signed up for the renewable energy provided by Texas’ wind turbines.
Does Texas produce the most wind energy?
Texas makes the most of the wind compared to other states in the United States. The state has the most turbines and generates significant electricity from wind energy.
Texas sourced a fifth of its electricity from wind, which is 2% higher than coal at 18%. Texas sources its electricity from both fossil fuels and renewables. Natural gas leads all sources at 48%.
Amongst the states’ renewable energy sources, the wind is the undisputed leader compared to solar power or hydro.
Wind surpassed coal in electricity generated only in 2020, showing the consistent growth of the industry in Texas. In 2020, Texas produced more electricity for the power grid than Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma combined.
In 2019, Texas produced 84 terawatts of wind electricity accounting for 28% of all US wind electricity generation.
Where does Texas rank worldwide with wind energy?
If Texas were a country, it would be fifth in the world in terms of generation. The state is next only to China, the other United States, Germany, and India.
Which US state has the most installed wind power?
Texas is leading the United States in installed wind capacity. The state’s electricity generation from wind is 20%, which is twice as much as what the entire US produces from wind at 9% relative to other sources.
Why is Texas good for wind energy?
Large-scale wind farms and small-scale turbines are present all over Texas. There are specific locations that are more favorable to wind, and NREL shows us where. In West Texas, the wind blows at high enough speeds for wind turbine use.
The vast countryside of Texas offers plenty of space suitable for renewable energy projects. Farmers can also lease their lot to generate royalty from a wind turbine. Because the farmers can benefit from the royalties, developers obtain support from local communities and install large projects.
The wind industry in Texas provides an estimated annual $142 million from royalty payments to landowners in addition to tax revenues. Through 2019, the wind industry already invested $53.1 billion in investments while generating 25,000 direct wind industry jobs in the same year.
Incentives and friendly tax rates also help push profits for the energy industry. The business-friendly environment in Texas makes sustained investments in the wind industry possible.
As the wind industry grew, the transmission lines for wind turbines grew too. Renewable energy transmission lines run thousands of miles across the state, enabling many industry-scale wind farms to operate all over the state.
What is Texas Competitive Renewable Energy Zone?
Texas actively supports its wind industry and the game-changing investments needed. The state’s transmission capacity and infrastructure expanded with wind specifically in mind.
The state invested $7 billion in 171 transmission projects before the expansion of large wind farms in the state. These transmission projects connect five zones identified by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) as CREZs (Competitive Renewable Energy Zones).
The Texas government planned these regions and set them apart to bring their wind potential to reality. These CREZs are viable for renewable energy investment, development, and expansion.
Is Texas a leader in wind energy?
Texas leads the USA in wind energy generation. This power meets the demand for more electricity from the state’s grid during the hotter months.
Texas continues to sustain this leadership as more wind power plants go online from 2022 to 2023. Based on data from the US Energy Information Administration, the lone star state is developing most of the planned large-scale wind farms in the USA. The map shows the wind farms under development to be green circles.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas predicts that in the summer of 2022, renewable energy is poised for more growth. The new Texas investments in wind and solar power will increase the overall electricity supply to 91.3 gigawatts.
How many wind turbines are in Texas?
The top 5 states account for 55% of all wind turbines in the USA (39,176 turbines). Texas has 17,779 turbines. Texas has more turbines than Iowa, California, and Oklahoma combined. The total number of turbines in the USA as of April 2022 is 71,666.
| State | Turbine Count |
|---|---|
| Texas | 17,779 |
| Iowa | 6,173 |
| California | 6,088 |
| Oklahoma | 5,177 |
| Kansas | 3,959 |
| Others | 32,490 |
How much wind power did the Texas wind industry install?
According to American Clean Power Association, Texas has 36.8 GW of installed capacity from wind turbines. The state accounts for 31% of installed capacity in the US wind industry.
Where are most wind farms in Texas?
Texas has many wind farms concentrated in different locations.
Panhandle and Hill Country have plenty of wind farms, with a few in South Texas Plains and Gulf Coast. West Texas produces significant wind energy because of its placement along the natural wind belt.
By November 2015, wind energy reached a milestone where prices went negative for 50 hours. The negative price was due to the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ) transmission lines getting maxed out.
In the same year, the wind turbines in Texas changed the landscape and the electricity mix in the grid. From a total of 4 terawatt hours in 2005, the capacity grew eleven-fold to 44 terawatt hours in 2015.
By 2021, the Gulf Coast had installed its fair share of wind farms.
What are the major wind farms in Texas?
Below you will find a list of the 5 largest wind farms in Texas
Sweetwater Wind Farm is already one of the oldest wind farms in the US. Duke Energy commissioned the wind farm way back in 2007. The wind farm has 392 turbines across 144 square miles in Nolan county, Texas.
Roscoe Wind Farm covers four counties, with an outsize number of turbines at 627 and 781 MW of installed capacity. RWE renewables–a German energy utility company–owns the wind farm.
Los Vientos Wind Farm is the second largest wind farm in the country after Alta Wind Energy center in California. The wind farm has a rated capacity of 912 MW.
Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Taylor and Nolan counties is also one of the oldest wind farms in the US. FPL commissioned the wind farm in 2006. The wind farm has 421 turbines–the largest wind farm at the time.
Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm NextEra Energy Resources operates the wind farm in Sterling and Coke counties. NextEra is the largest wind energy generator in the US. The total capacity of the farm is 662.5 MW.
What are the brands of turbines in Texas?
Data from USGS shows the top 5 brands of turbines in Texas:
- GE Wind – 8,323 turbines
- Vestas – 3,133 turbines
- Mitsubishi – 1,366 turbines
- Siemens – 1,197 turbines
- Gamesa – 919 turbines
How tall are the wind turbines in Texas?
Based on USGS data, Texas commonly installed the 80-meter hub height in its wind farms. The state has 8,270 of these 80-meter turbines. The 100-meter rotor diameter is the most common among these turbines.
Where is the tallest turbine in the US?
West Texas A&M University installed the tallest turbine in the USA in 2018. The turbine stands at 426 feet hub height and has a rotor diameter of 446.2 feet. A joint facility of UL and Texas A&M operates the turbine.
Can Texas build offshore wind farms?
Texas doesn’t have any offshore wind farms in 2022.
The federal government proposed two offshore farms near Galveston in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the plan, both wind farms can potentially power 3 million homes. This wind farm would have some unique challenges, like dealing with hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will not yet implement the project in a specific timeline. The Bureau has not indicated a leasing timeline either.
According to the American Wind Energy Association, the offshore wind industry would have invested $28 billion in the US economy by 2030. The goal of 30 GW brings these investments to reality.