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Wind Energy
Company
(This
wind turbine produces enough electricity for over 300 homes in Texas.)
WIND POWER
Characterization of the Resource
Vast areas with high wind power potential exist in Texas. Figures 6 and 7 on this page show average annual wind power for the United States and Texas. Wind power is categorized according to Wind Power Class. Wind class 1 (light blue) denotes very light winds; higher numbers indicate stronger winds. In the United States, wind farms are presently built on tracts with winds of class 5 (orange) and higher. Technology currently being developed should make class 4 (yellow) wind regimes viable. Eventually, even class 3 (green) wind regimes are expected to be capable of supporting utility-scale ventures.
The U.S. map was assembled by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) from available measured wind data. In many areas there were no measured data. To address this shortcoming, PNL scientists partitioned the country into thousands of uniformly sized pieces and to each piece assigned a constant value for wind class. This is what gives the map its jagged, "pixelized" appearence.
The Alternative Energy Institute (AEI) at West Texas A&M University constructed the improved resolution Texas wind map as a refinement of the PNL map. It incorporates additional ground exposure information. A hilltop, for example, will experience stronger winds than the base of a valley. The AEI used elevation and prevailing wind data to compute exposure and reclassify wind power throughout the state.
While helpful, this technique is not a precise tool. Some areas on the map may, with improved data, turn out to be windier than indicated, while others may be worse. Overall, the reclassified map simply identifies promising regions in which to focus future assessment activities and development; the true potential of a specific site can only be determined from long-term, quality measurements.
The Texas map identifies three major areas with good wind power potential: the Great Plains, the Gulf Coast, and specific ridgetops and mountain passes throughout the Trans-Pecos. The electric generation potential of the windy areas of Texas is summarized in Table 3, below. These values reflect exclusions for various technical and environmental constraints. The table points out that Texas contains enough class 4 resource to produce all of the electricity currently consumed in the state. Even when utilizing only class 5 and 6 lands, wind power could generate a significant portion of the state's electricity.
TABLE 3. Potential Electricity Production on Windy Lands in Texas
WIND POWER CLASS
AREA (km2)
PERCENT OF STATE LAND
POTENTIAL CAPACITY (MW)
POTENTIAL PRODUCTION (Billion kWh)
3% OF TEXAS ELECTRIC CONSUMPTION
396,000
Potential Value of Resource in Texas
Wind is a highly variable resource, but with proper understanding it can be readily incorporated into an electric utility's generation mix. This fact has already been recognized by Texas wind developers and electric utilities active in the state's nascent industry. The Panhandle, mountainous parts of West Texas, and perhaps even the lower Gulf Coast, contain areas with winds presently suitable for electric power generation. The number of commercially attractive sites will only expand as development costs continue to drop and wind turbine technology improves.
Texas Wind Power Potential
WIND POWER CLASS WIND CHARACTERISTICS 50 METERS
ABOVE GROUND*
POWER
(W/m2) SPEED
(mph) COMMERCIAL
VIABILITY
EXCELLENT
Fifty meters (164 feet) is a common tower height for large wind turbines.
landman@lonestarnaturalgas.com
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State
Summary:
Installed MW = 3352 MW*
Under Construction = 1246 MW* |
Wind
Energy Potential:
Average Power Output (MW):
136,000
Annual kWh: 1,190 B
Rank in US: 2nd
Click on the Links
for more project information |
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Updated: June 30, 2007 |
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Texas
Wind Energy Development
|
|
Existing Project or Area |
Owner |
Date Online |
MW |
Power Purchaser/
User |
Turbine |
|
Wind Power
Partners ('94)
|
FPL Energy |
1994 |
39.8 |
Lower Colorado
River Authority |
110 KVS-33 |
|
Delaware
Mountain
|
FPL Energy |
1999 |
28.5 |
Lower Colorado
River Authority |
Zond 750-kW
(38) |
|
Big Spring
I
Howard County
|
Caithness |
April 1999 |
27.72 |
TXU Electric &
Gas |
Vestas V-47
(42) |
|
Big Spring
II
Howard County
|
Caithness |
June 1999 |
6.6 |
TXU Electric &
Gas / York |
Vestas 1.65-MW
(4) |
|
Southwest
Mesa Wind Farm
|
FPL Energy
|
May 1999 |
74.9 |
American
Electric Power |
NEG Micon
700-kW (107)
|
|
Hueco
Mountain Wind Ranch,
El Paso County
|
El Paso
Electric |
Mar 2001
|
1.32 |
El Paso
Electric |
Vestas V-47
(2) |
|
King
Mountain Wind Ranch
|
FPL Energy |
2001, 2003
|
281.2 |
Texas-New
Mexico Power Co. / Reliant Energy / Austin
Energy |
Bonus 1300
(214); Vestas 3-MW (1) |
|
Woodward
Mt. I & II, Pecos County
|
FPL Energy |
Apr 2001 |
159.7 |
TXU Energy |
Vestas V-47
(242) |
|
Trent Mesa
|
American Electric Power (AEP) |
Aug 2001 |
150.0 |
TXU Energy |
Enron 1500 (100)
Project Info |
|
Indian
Mesa
|
FPL Energy
|
Dec 2001 |
82.5 |
TXU (31.5MW),
LCRA (48.5MW) |
Vestas V-47
(125) |
|
Desert Sky
Wind Farm
|
American Electric Power (AEP) |
Dec 2001 |
160.5 |
City Public
Service of San Antonio |
Enron 1500 (107)
Project Info |
|
Llano
Estacado Wind Ranch at White Deer
|
Shell Wind Energy |
Nov 2001 |
80.0 |
Southwestern
Public Service (Xcel Energy) |
Mitsubishi
1000 (80) |
|
Brazos Wind Ranch
|
Shell Wind Energy /
Mitsui |
4th Q 2003 |
160 |
TXU Energy /
Green Mountain Power |
Mitsubishi
1000 (160) |
|
Sweetwater
|
Babcock &
Brown & Catamount Energy |
2003, 2005,
2007 |
505 |
TXU Energy,
Austin Energy, CPS Energy |
GE Wind 1.5-MW
(176); Mitsubishi 1-MW (135); Siemens 2.3-MW
(46) |
| Indian Mesa |
Vestas |
2003 |
3 |
N.A. |
Vestas 3-MW (1) |
|
Callahan Divide Wind
Energy Center, Taylor County
|
FPL Energy |
2005 |
114 |
Austin Energy
|
GE Wind 1500
(76) |
|
American Windmill Museum
|
American Wind
Power Center |
2005 |
.66 |
American Windmill Museum |
Vestas 660 kW (1) |
|
McKinney Wal-Mart
|
Bergey
Windpower |
2005 |
0.05 |
McKinney Wal-Mart |
Bergey Windpower 50 kW (1)
|
|
Buffalo Gap
|
AES Corp. |
2005 |
120.6 |
Direct Energy |
Vestas 1.8 MW (67) |
|
Horse Hollow Wind
Energy Center
|
FPL Energy |
2005/2006 |
735.5 |
various |
GE Energy 1.5 MW (291);
Siemens 2.3 MW (130) |
| Red Canyon |
FPL Energy
|
2006 |
84 |
various |
GE Energy 1.5 MW (56) |
| JD Wind I |
DWS/John Deere
Wind Energy |
2006 |
10 |
Southwestern Public Service
(Xcel Energy) |
Suzlon 1.25-MW (8) |
| JD Wind II |
DWS/John Deere
Wind Energy |
2006 |
10 |
Southwestern Public Service
(Xcel Energy) |
Suzlon 1.25-MW (8) |
| JD Wind III |
DWS/John Deere
Wind Energy |
2006 |
10 |
Southwestern Public Service
(Xcel Energy) |
Suzlon 1.25-MW (8) |
| JD Wind V |
DWS/John Deere
Wind Energy |
2006 |
10 |
Southwestern Public Service
(Xcel Energy) |
Suzlon 1.25-MW (8) |
| Forest Creek Wind Farm
|
Airtricity |
2006 |
124.2 |
TXU Energy |
Siemens 2.3-MW (54) |
| JD Wind VI |
John Deere
Wind Energy/community wind |
2007 |
10 |
Southwestern Public Service
(Xcel Energy) |
Suzlon 1.25-MW (8) |
| Lone Star I (2nd Q) |
Horizon Wind
|
2007 |
72 |
Direct Energy |
Gamesa 2 MW (36) |
| Camp Springs |
Invenergy |
2007 |
130.5 |
N.A. |
GE Energy 1.5 (87) |
| Wildorado |
Edison Mission
Group |
2007 |
160 |
Southern Public Service (Xcel
Energy) |
Siemens 2.3 MW (70) |
Proposed
Wind Projects in Texas
|
Project |
Utility/Developer |
Location |
Status |
MW Cap |
On Line By /
Turbines |
| JD Wind IV |
John Deere
Credit/Distributed Wind Systems |
panhandle |
under construction |
79.8 |
Suzlon 2.1-MW (38) |
| Buffalo Gap, phase II |
AES/Direct Energy |
near Abilene |
under construction |
232.5 |
GE Energy 1.5 MW (155)
|
| Lone Star I (3Q) |
Horizon Wind Energy |
|
under construction |
128 |
Gamesa 2 MW (64) |
| Sand Bluff |
Airtricity |
near Big spring |
under construction |
90 |
Gamesa 2 MW (45) |
| Roscoe |
Airtricity/TXU Energy |
|
under construction |
209 |
Mitsubishi 1-MW (209) |
| Barton Chapel |
Gamesa Energy |
Jack County |
under construction |
120 |
Gamesa 2-MW (60) |
| Stanton Wind Energy Center
|
Invenergy |
|
under construction |
120 |
N.A. |
| Whirlwind Energy Center
|
RES America/Austin Energy
|
Floyd County |
under construction |
59.8 |
Siemens 2.3 MW (26) |
| Sweetwater V |
Babcock & Brown/Catamount
Energy |
|
under construction |
80.5 |
Siemens 2.3 MW (35) |
| Champion |
Airtricity |
|
under construction |
126.5 |
Siemens 2.3 MW (55) |
PLEASE NOTE: This is not
necessarily a comprehensive list of proposed wind power
projects in this state. If you have questions about the
extent of development activity in the state or have a
project that you would like listed, please contact Kathy
Belyeu at
Kbelyeu@awea.org .
Sources:
*Installed & Projected MW - AWEA
**Wind Energy Potential - An Assessment of the
Available Windy Land Area and Wind Energy Potential in
the Contiguous United States, Pacific Northwest
Laboratory, 1991. ("Potential"
is stated in terms of average Megawatts of Capacity (MWa),
or megawatts of capacity at 100% capacity factor. 1 MWa
is roughly equal to about 3 MW of nameplate wind turbine
capacity.)
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contact
crystal.energy@yahoo.com
for information about
sustainable wind projects in Alaska, California and
Texas
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