Texas Wind Energy Provided 10% In 2014

[ScienceRocks]

Texas Wind Energy Provided 10% In 2014
Texas Wind Energy Provided 10 In 2014

February 24th, 2015 by Joshua S Hill

The Texas wind energy industry provided more than 10% to the 2014 electricity mix, according to the state’s grid operator.

According to the the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, by way of the US Energy Information Administration, wind energy provided 6.2% of the state’s share of electricity in 2009, a figure which has since grown to 10.6% in 2014 (at the same time as electricity generation has increased by 11.3%).

“The growth in wind generation is a result of new wind plants coming online and grid expansions that have allowed more wind power to flow through the system to consumers,” state the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

In fact, wind energy generation has nearly doubled from 2009 — growing from 19.9 million MWh in 2009 to 36.1 million MWh in 2014.


In fact, the story of Texas’ wind energy industry is interesting, and a good example of how wind energy can work.

Texas Adds Generation And Capacity
The US EIA say that the state’s wind capacity has also grown substantially over the past six years, but that wind energy generation grew faster because in addition to capacity, “transmission constraints that previously prevented wind generators from operating at their maximum capability were gradually removed through a state-directed transmission expansion program.”

Texas was highlighted by the American Wind Energy Association in their end of year round-up, having installed the most of any state in the US in 2014, with 1,118 MW (followed by Oklahoma a long distance second, with 648 MW).

Texas is also leading the way in terms of number of projects currently under construction, with 7,500 MW in varying states of approval through to construction.

Holy shit! 10.6% of texas energy is wind!!!! Conservatives like their wind!

 

[FA_Q2]

People like what works. There is nothing wrong with wind energy. There is something MASSIVELY wrong with pushing a tech that is not ready for the big time and demanding that it replace the one steady and reliable source that we have. There is something even worse when you do that through a gross abuse of the taxing power.

 

[Old Rocks]

Since these are private utility mills, seems it is ready for the big time. Especially considering Texas utilities are already committing to a grid scale battery system that would make wind and solar 24/7. And, at present, wind cheaper to install and run than either coal or gas. Solar will be in less than five years.

 

[FA_Q2]

Since these are private utility mills, seems it is ready for the big time. Especially considering Texas utilities are already committing to a grid scale battery system that would make wind and solar 24/7. And, at present, wind cheaper to install and run than either coal or gas. Solar will be in less than five years.

Then it will replace coal and gas all on its own - no government involvement needed (other than the purchasing of the power on the market). You will not find any real resistance to that at all.

The problem that many have is that is almost never the case.