Future of Texas windpower unveiled

[Casa Grande]

PRESS RELEASE
Future of Texas windpower unveiled
Innovative new Texas test facility to be announced at conference in Houston

AUSTIN - Sunday marks the beginning of North America's largest wind energy conference, Windpower 2008 in Houston, where officials are expected to announce a historic new federal wind blade test facility will be built on the Texas coast.  Governor Perry is scheduled to provide the conference keynote address.

"The Texas wind energy industry will reach critical mass with this announcement," said Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office and leading proponent of wind energy.  "Not only will Texas lead the nation in installed windpower capacity, we will be poised to be the one-stop shop for research, manufacturing and production of wind turbines."

To be built through an innovative public-private partnership led by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the facility will test ind turbine blades for use in commercial wind farms around the world. The testing lab will be built in Ingleside near Corpus Christi on land donated by BP.

"Once we build this test facility in Texas, the wind turbine and blade manufacturers will come," Patterson said. "Just like when the federal government put the space center in Houston, this test facility will launch new wind blade research and manufacturing jobs in Texas.  This facility will establish Texas as a worldwide leader in wind power for decades to come."

Patterson also noted a Texas-based test facility will give the U.S. an advantage in getting a bigger share of the projected $80 billion annual international business in designing and building turbines.

Under Patterson's leadership, Texas signed the nation’s first six leases for the development of offshore wind power. Texas is primed for wind industry development, Patterson said.

"Texas has deep industrial know-how based on our history of oil and gas development. Texas has strong gulf winds, the political will and the infrastructure, like transportation and deep-water ports, to make our state the perfect site for this fast-growing industry," Patterson said.

And no coastal state has greater wind energy potential than Texas. Texas could generate as much as 10 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, according to resource assessments conducted by the University of Houston. The nation's cumulative wind power capacity is currently 9,971 megawatts, approximately half of which is installed in Texas. The booming growth of the wind industry in Texas makes the state a natural fit for the testing of the huge turbine components required for future wind farms.

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[Roy]

And not a word about this in the local media here in CC.  Thanks for the article, CG.

Personally, I think wind power is a good idea, but it's been somewhat controversial here in CC;  wasn't too long ago that wind towers were actually banned .  They were supposed to be a hazard during tropical storms, etc.  (Of course, those were going to be built by individuals or businesses outside the energy "establishment".)
And there's a fair amount of NIMBY sentiment around here, can't have all those windmills clutterin' up our view along the bay front, or of the Gulf from Padre Island.  'Course, those oil rigs out there look just fine. (I swear I'm not making this up.)

Amazing what you can get done with the right political connections.

(Dang, I'm beginning to sound like Shane )
 

[homerboy2u]

(Dang, I'm beginning to sound like Shane )

  ...your right....

[SHANEA]

(Dang, I'm beginning to sound like Shane )
 

Personally, I think they are beautiful.  They are springing up like coat hangers or rabbits in West Texas.  Article recently, didn't post  about how T. Boone is going to really change things by building his own transmission lines that are NOT part of the grid and NOT under the auspices of the PUC.

Pampa Wind Projec

Mesa Sets Major Order For GE Wind Turbines

Glad I'm rubbing off on someone...   

[SHANEA]

Amazing what you can get done with the right political connections.

(Dang, I'm beginning to sound like Shane )
 

Politics is everything, especially in Texas.  That, and Friday Night Football...

[Roy]

Glad I'm rubbing off on someone...   

Wait until about 6 months after the next election.  By then I'll be so fed up with the Ds I'll probably turn into a Presidio clone.

Seriously, I think wind farms are a big part the future of electricity genereation, so this is really good news IMO.  Give ol' JP a pat on the back for me, if you see him.
HOWEVER:
Still can't figure out why there's been no local coverage.  The site they've chosen is an area that should be very happy about this;  their local economy is scheduled to take a big hit when Naval Station Ingleside closes.   The local pols should be playing it up big time:  "We've brought jobs and money, vote for us!"  Makes me wonder what else is going on....

[SHANEA]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/7nSB1SdVHqQ&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/7nSB1SdVHqQ&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/lvvRHhsQhi8&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/lvvRHhsQhi8&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/lvvRHhsQhi8&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/lvvRHhsQhi8&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/XE8-gErACQg&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/XE8-gErACQg&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/HKkTUY2slYQ&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/HKkTUY2slYQ&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/4N4HQv-UyUo&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/4N4HQv-UyUo&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/9EMpGMsF0ps&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/9EMpGMsF0ps&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vr7BRtnZwho&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Vr7BRtnZwho&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/18himuJ3lq4&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/18himuJ3lq4&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/NZV-qZtFZuQ&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/NZV-qZtFZuQ&rel=0</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/eyrBj1USOXQ&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/eyrBj1USOXQ&rel=0</a>

[WL2]

Today wind turbines are only profitable if there is a government subsidy.  Anyone investing in them is betting on energy cost going up to make them long term profitable.  As the videos show they can be dangerous, they kill a lot of birds (especially birds of prey), and they cover a lot of land.  I am not personally opposed to wind turbines, but there is more to the story than is getting media coverage right now.

[BigBendHiker]

Seriously, I think wind farms are a big part the future of electricity genereation, so this is really good news IMO. 

Agree.  Windtricity will not supply all of our needs, but can certainly provide a portion and that is a good thing since it is renewable.  Although there are some problems with the turbines (as evidenced by the videos), those issues are engineering challenges that can and will be solved.

I think T Boone Pickens plan is for windtricity to provide 20% of the baseload electrical generation capacity?  We went to Lubbock last weekend (my daughter's fiance is from there).  Up around Sweetwater and that area there are many, many turbines in place and many more under construction. 

CPS Energy has a windtricity program.  You can sign up to have anywhere from 10% to 100% of your electrical power provided by way of windtricity.  We recently signed up for 25%.


BBH

[TheWildWestGuy]

I think the Saudi's are getting nervous about all this alternative energy and energy independence movement and will crush the price of crude down to the $60-$80/level before year-end.  It's happened before - anyone remember 1986?

Of course the best course of action would be to keep going onward with alternative energy but human beings are not that far-sighted and we will all go back to driving hummers and will not want to pay extra for "green" energy.   The cycle will repeat itself - I need to go hummer shopping soon... TWWG

[BigBendHiker]

I think the Saudi's are getting nervous about all this alternative energy and energy independence movement and will crush the price of crude down to the $60-$80/level before year-end.  It's happened before - anyone remember 1986?

Hi TWWG -
I think you are spot on with regards movement of the price by the Saudi's in response to renewable energy initiatives.

Yep....1986...oil went from around $40 a bbl to less than $10 a bbl over a rather short period of time. 

BBH

[homerboy2u]

However true, there are operational accidents in every working plac that i have knowledge. It is also true that there is a learning cuve in all new venturing projects,specially when these are at the avantguard of new technology. As time passes we as humans will learn from our mistakes and share our experiences with other people from other parts of the world and will benefit with improved technology, better procedures, upgraded equipment, improved systems.

 Unfortunately, it always has to start like this but we learn quickly. If we had a crystal ball, then all would be different.

[SHANEA]

Group pushes for lawsuit against wind farm

Group Mulls Action to Halt Wind Farm: Environmentalists Want Federal Government to Get Involved

Lawsuit against wind farm plan dismissed
Groups wanted study of the impact on environment

Group pushes for lawsuit against wind farm

Personally, I'm 100% for wind farms.  We've got to do something - there is no perfect solution.  Not everyone can live off the grid.  I think a "Manhattan Project" is in order to come up with some new and better solutions.  But, I think a combination of wind, solar, etc. are going to be part of the solution.  Yes, I can empathize with the avian fans out there at she Audubon Society and not make mockery of them - but I have to wonder how many birds are currently killed each year from coal fired power plants - mercury poisoning, smog, etc.   Perhaps there is some kind of equilibrium point in decreasing the number of bird deaths from power plants and the increased number from wind farms.

[TheWildWestGuy]

I think I like the "all of the above" solution but alas human history has proven that once the immediate crises is over with we will go back to "business as usual" just like we did after the Arab Oil Embargo (anyone old enough to remember that?) and other oil-price shocks.  Note that most price shocks have been followed by steep and deep falls in the price of oil that lasted several years and the economy (outside the oil states) boomed.  The oil-shale and alternative energy technologies got crushed and went under in 1986 and nobody cared.  We should have been building windfarms, plug-in cars, and limiting excessive consumption back in the  late 1980's but guess what - we didn't do anything because the "public" (that's you and me) enjoyed cheap gas and low utility bills and when gas is cheap nobody wants to pay more for alternatives.  Our senators are too busy voting themselves pay raises and nice health benefits to worry about what is going to happen in the long term.   The "green lobby"  doesn't want wind farms because they kill birds, they don't want coal because it causes smog, they don't want nuclear because it's radioactive, they don't want dams because they destroy rivers, they don't want to drill for oil and gas because it pollutes their "viewscape", basically they have a complaint and lawsuit about everything but no realistic solutions.  As for T-Boone and his windfarm idea I am all for it except for the fact that he wants the taxpayers (that's you and me) to pay for the transmission lines and he wants to make big $$ off us.  It is about the money... TWWG

[Al]

Our society requires electricity. I know I need it to function to the extent I do within society and I'm not just talking about the internet, by a long shot.  Air conditioning is an addiction to which I have become accustom.   

I don't see most of us getting off the grid any time soon while still functioning within society as we know it.  Our environmental laws have evolved tremendously in the last 40 years and have made a very real difference in the environment and our quality of life. 

Hypothetical question:  If wind generators, as placed now and in the future in the migration pathway(s) of Canadian Geese, were knocking out significant numbers of birds would we shut down the offensive wind generators?  I believe the answer is yes.   

Fact is man has an impact on the environment.  Any form of electrical generation, we currently use or are reasonably projected to use, has an impact on the environment.  The question is are those impacts acceptable in the grand scheme of things and are certain impacts less desirable that others?  Duh, yes.  If they are unacceptable, will we know and do something about it?  I believe the answer is yes.  I haven't seen sufficient evidence the process is broken . . . yet.  Let economics rule.  It is an essential foundation of our country.

Al