Blowin’ in the Wind: The Latest on West Texas Wind Power

There's a new kind of farm springing up out in West Texas: wind farms. No water required—just lots of wide-open spaces and a strong, steady breeze. Seeing the wind farms loom on the horizon as you drive west on I-10 is an impressive sight. But what does Texas wind power have to do with you? Quite a bit, actually. Not only could you use the electricity generated by the wind in your home, you can also play a role in the ongoing development of this important renewable energy source.

From Texas Windmills to High-Tech Turbines

Old-fashioned, water-pumping wooden windmills played a key role in the settlement of Texas farms and ranches, and they still dot landscapes all over the state. Other than the fact that wind propels their blades, yesterday's windmills and today's wind turbines don’t have much in common. Check out these wind-power facts:

• One blade of a wind turbine can be 115 feet long and weigh 15,000 pounds or more. Many wind turbine towers stand over 300 feet tall.

• Texas leads the country in wind production. According to recent figures, there are more than 40 wind farms in Texas, with a total capacity of around 9,500 MW. Iowa, the second-largest generator of wind power, has a capacity of around 3600 MW.

• The Roscoe Wind Farm in Roscoe, Texas is the world's largest wind farm. Its 627 wind turbines have a total capacity of 781 MW—enough to power more than 250,000 average Texan homes.

The Future of Wind Power 

You'd think, with all of their amazing power-producing potential, wind farms would supply a large percentage of Texas' electric needs. The demand is there: increasing numbers of Texas electricity consumers are choosing green power plans. Wind power is an unpredictable resource, however, and Texas winds are no exception. If no wind blows, the wind farms can’t make electricity.

Here are two big reasons why Texas wind power can't play a larger role:

• Texas winds typically die down during the summer, when Texas electricity needs are at their highest.

• There's no existing technology for effectively storing wind power, either in batteries or other forms. 

As new technology develops, Texas wind power may play a larger role. Want to make a difference? Signing up for a 100% green plan is a great way to support this sustainable energy source. Even if the level of power generated by Texas wind farms remains at current levels, your support means that fewer fossil power plants will need to be built.

Get Your RECs

All the electricity—from renewable and other sources, like fossil and nuclear fuels—mixes together on the same grid and travels over the same wires. So technically, someone on a green plan is getting the same mix of electricity as a person on a regular plan.

That's where Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) come in. One REC is equal to 1,000 kWh of electricity generated by renewable resources such as wind and solar energy. When you sign up for a 100% green plan, we use RECs to buy green power on your behalf. We look at how much electricity customers on our green plans are using and make sure we’ve bought enough RECs to ensure the power generated for their plans is from renewable resources.  The more customers who choose green plans, the more RECs—and green energy--we’re buying. So while you might not personally be receiving “green” electrons straight from those West Texas wind farms, you can feel good knowing that the same amount of electricity you’re using is being generated from renewable resources and being put on the grid.

Buying green power helps to take traditionally generated power off the grid. Get the details on 100% green energy from First Choice Power.