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Texas Wind Power in 2008 reaches 3.6%, and is set up well for the Future

Wind-powered electricity generation in Texas in 2008 reached 14.6 terawatt-hours (TWh) compared to 8.2 TWh in 2007. Given that the total electricity generation in Texas was 402.7 TWh in 2008, the wind generation as a percentage of the total was 3.6%, compared to approximately 2.0% in 2007. This is not the highest percentage of generation for any state, but it is the highest total quantity of wind electricity. Texas also had approximately 8,000 MW of wind power capacity installed by the end of 2008.

Likely due to the economic downturn, but perhaps also a relatively mild summer in 2008, total electricity generation in Texas dropped 2.9 TWh from 405.6 TWh in 2007. Another interesting note is that electricity generation using natural gas was 199.2 TWh in 2007 and 192.8 TWh in 2008, a drop of 6.4 TWh. Not entirely coincidentally, this 6.4 TWh is the same amount of increase in wind generation from 2007 to 2008. A study by General Electric in 2008 showed that as wind generation increases in the Texas electric grid, ERCOT, it will primarily displace natural gas generation. This is because natural gas generation is on the margin in Texas and also accounted for approximately 49% of electricity in 2007. Furthermore, Texas generation capacity is approximately 70% natural gas units. The high quantity of natural gas capacity makes it relatively easy, but not easy, for Texas to incorporate wind power into its electricity grid because they are the units most capable (as compared to coal and nuclear) of ramping up and down to follow the wind power fluctuations.

Early in 2009 the first wind farm along the Texas coast became operational in Kenedy County of South Texas. This wind farm is positioned in one of the most traveled migratory bird routes in the world as many of the North American birds get funneled by the Gulf of Mexico along their route. This makes the wind farm controversial as compared to all others in Texas that are in West Texas with different, but generally less wildlife. It was the only wind farm opposed by the Audubon Society due to being located in a highly traveled zone for birds. However, the wind farm operators, Babcock and Brown, have installed procedures for curtailing the wind turbines should weather force birds to fly as low as the turbines. Many remain skeptical.

It remains to be seen the full impact of these wind farms, and we may get some indication over the course of this year. Wildlife and scenic issues have so far help up all other offshore and coastal wind farm sites in the US, and scenic criteria have already been ruled not applicable in Texas for locating wind farms. Let’s hope bird impacts do not occur widely such that they create a black eye for the wind industry after growing away from the initial bird issues of Altamont Pass in California. Designs using tubular towers eventually evolved, thus removing the built-in perches that attracted some birds. Let’s hope the birds avoid the turbines on the Texas coast, because Texas is set up well to continue to lead in wind power production, and there’s no better place than the #1 oil, gas, … and wind power producer in the US.

Posted by Carey King on May 18, 2009 7:00 AM | Permalink