For the sake of the country, let’s all hope that California continues on this suicidal path. Here in Texas, we killed 11 coal plants last year, and killed a nuke just last week. It takes time to get these plants on line and there will be some serious suffering as the shortages multiply. I just California to be the trailblazer for the country...as that might buy us a few years head start to get some capacity going again.
Yet Texas set up the Competative Renewable Energy Zones in the wind corridor of west Texas in 2006 and awarded contracts, last spring, to build two transmission lines to connect SA and DFW to the wind corridor.
Everyone likes to talk about Pickens' Pampa Wind Project but his is only one of many wind farms that will eventually built out there. Undoubtedly someone will build gas and coal fired plants out there also. That is a non-attainment area and smog generated out there doesn't count against Texas' smog problem.