Posted on 09/02/2006 1:17:08 PM PDT by saganite
CALIFORNIA may be a leader in curbing greenhouse gases and creating solar power, but Texas hasbreezed past the Golden State as the nation's top producer of wind power.
The Lone Star State, better known for its oil derricks and natural gas, now has a capacity of 2,370 wind-generated megawatts, enough to power 600,000 average-sized homes a year, according to a report released by the American Wind Energy Association.
California, the nation's wind energy leader since 1981, has 2,323 wind-generated megawatts, a mere 47 megawatts less than Texas.
California industry observers shrugged off the development, describing it as a relatively small difference and citing the state's overall record — nearly 11 percent of its electricity was generated by renewable forms of power in 2005 — as evidence of its good standing in conservation matters.
The state's peak capacity at present, counting all forms of power generation, is about 50,000 megawatts. One megawatt generally equals roughly enough electricity for 750 average California homes, depending on demand.
"I applaud Texas. I think it's greatthey are taking advantage of their wind resources," said Susanne Garfield of the California Energy Commission. "California has been the leader and will probably move forward.
"It's a great contest to be in, vying to surpass each others' renewable energy and continuing to leapfrog each other," Garfield said. "It's just 50 megawatts. That's not a big jump."
California has four main wind resource areas: Altamont Pass, where some concerns have arisen over birds getting caught in wind farm turbines; Tehachapi Pass; San Gorgonio Pass; and a new, rapidly growing wind resources area near Rio Vista in Solano County, said Case van Dam, a professor at the University of California, Davis.
The latter is an "up and coming" area that has turbine blades the length of a football field, Garfield said. She believes that new technology and slower-turning turbines that pose less danger to birds could help California catch up with Texas.
Wind energy plants use turbines to generate electricity. Such plants generate no emissions, unlike fossil fuel power plants. Coal-fired plants emit tons of pollutants and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and mercury.
Texas has been creeping up on California for a number of years, and taking the top spot was "bound to happen," said van Dam, who is also director of the California Wind Energy Collaborative.
"First of all, Texas has better wind resources," van Dam said. "Secondly, it is easier to do business and get permits for wind turbines in Texas, and there is plentiful land there."
California state law requires that by 2017 its investor-owned utilities must get 20 percent of their electric energy from renewable energy sources such as hydro, wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy, van Dam said.
In the last two weeks, California lawmakers have passed major legislation affecting alternative energy.
Just this week, they passed the first bill in the United States to cap greenhouse gas emissions. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger strongly supported the bill and has said he plans to sign it.
On Aug. 21, Schwarzenegger signed a cornerstone piece of his Million Solar Roofs initiative. The initiative's goal is to stimulate construction of one million solar roofs, both business and residential, in California by 2018.
The directive means such practices will continue to grow, van Dam said.
"Right now, California is lagging a little bit, but in the long run installed capacity for wind energy will pick up," the professor said.
At least one entity from the private sector agreed.
"With technology constantly improving and state requirements for utilities to purchase 20 percent of their power from renewable energy, the future remains bright for wind power in the Golden State," said Florida Power and Light, which claims to be the state's leading producer of wind energy.
CA Limousine Liberalism and NIMBY-ism on parade!
I don't think there are many birds in Texas where these windmills are going up but in any case I don't think bird beheadings are as big an issue in Texas as they are in California.
It's 'cause they have bigger blowhards there, I reckun. ;-)
There's NO PLEASING an environazi...
You got that raght. Everthang's bigger 'n better in Texas!
Right on! :)
Probably not. Although around here the Starlings are starting to come together in huge flocks, thousands of them all flying together getting ready to head south. I always wondered what it would be like if they ever flew through one of those wind farms, I have a very sick imagination I guess.
I hope they behad the Greckles in Texas...they pull up my tomato plantings and crap on my lawn furniture.
Are the turbines driving the oil wells???
Birds nest on them.
Duh.
Yes, we have birds in Texas. Many, many birds in Texas. Buncha good ol' boys are out there shooting at a bunch of them as I type, this being opening weekend of dove season.
Not flying armadillos. Real feathered birds. And wind. Lots of wind for the birds to swoop and swirl and delight in.
We also have a lot of common sense in Texas, which speaks more to the contast with our west coast neighbor than does the question of avian population.
to be fair, quite a few moved there from here and elsewhere. :-)
I expect they'll nest on top of these windmills too. They look like they'll make excellent perches for the red tailed hawks to survey the landscape.
I know you have birds in Texas! I've been through there on occasion and was stationed in West Texas at one time. Low level flying would occasionally result in a birdstrike and recently Laughlin lost a T-38 to the pesky devils.
I don't consider them an eyesore, certainly more pleasant to the eye than the oil well derricks that used to dot West Texas.
Whether or not they are worthwhile generators of energy is an entirely different question. They're only effective until the wind stops blowing although that may change since leaps in battery storage capacity and efficiency are being made.
IMHO, this is design performed by somebody wearing a black beret and reads Architectural Digest. Building a cantilevered beam the length of a football field and installing it on a pole in a rotating machine has to be one of the nuttiest ideas I've ever heard.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.