| Wind Energy - New Texas Gold? |
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| Environment - Environment |
| Written by Jerry Dyess |
| Tuesday, 22 December 2009 10:12 |
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The benefits of wind energy are something we've all been hearing a lot about lately and in some parts of the US, this renewable energy technology may be able to meet a significant portion of the demand. Other than the obvious good that using wind power can do for the environment, there are a lot of Texan oil companies which are beginning to diversify into wind. Keep reading for a look at the rise of wind energy in Texas and elsewhere across the country.
The benefits of wind energy are something we've all been hearing a lot about lately and in some parts of the US, this renewable energy technology may be able to meet a significant portion of the demand. Other than the obvious good that using wind power can do for the environment, there are a lot of Texan oil companies which are beginning to diversify into wind. Keep reading for a look at the rise of wind energy in Texas and elsewhere across the country. GE has a one and a half billion dollar contract to supply turbines and maintenance for an Oregon wind farm over the next decade, a project expected to create about four hundred and fifty jobs. T. Boone Pickens, Texas oilman, is getting behind wind power in his state, and wind farms are popping up all over in the American Midwest. That's because wind is worth a lot of money right now. The US imports around 70% of the oil we use; and many argue that we need to become independent of foreign suppliers. Combined with the public awareness of the negative effects of burning fossil fuels, wind power has been getting more and more interest. Natural gas, a fossil fuel the US has larger reserves of is being examined as an alternative to foreign energy supplies along with an assist from renewable energies like wind power. In some areas in Texas, you can drive a hundred and fifty miles and see a wind turbine wherever you go. Some people think of these huge turbines as eyesores, while others see them as the means to free the US from foreign oil dependency. In Nolan County, Texas, for instance, there are five billion dollars worth of turbines - fifteen hundred individual wind generators. Right now, that area produces more wind power in a year than the entire state of California. Other areas in the state of Texas are having similar wind booms. The Rolling Plains region has two thousand turbines in operation, and Midland and Odessa's Permian Basin region produces about six thousand megawatts of electricity from three thousand turbines. New towers in some areas are going up at the rate of three to four a day. Wind power offers a renewable, clean alternative to natural gas and other fossil fuels as a means of producing electrical power. It produces no pollutants and with even oilmen like Pickens lining up alongside environmentalists to help reduce the environmental impact of energy production and reduce US dependence on foreign energy suppliers, it's a technology with a bright future. Alongside solar energy systems, wind energy has the potential to meet a large portion of the country's energy needs. Is wind the answer for all of our energy needs? Not everyone will give you the same answer, but it's already used in many regions and becoming an increasingly important part of our energy supplies by the day. About the Author: Author: Jerry Dyess has been in the Texas Electricity business segment for the past 7 years and published many articles on Texas Electric news. |