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A Texas Surprise
By Mark D. Roberts | Saturday, October 11, 2008
When I commute to and from work these days, driving about thirty minutes along Interstate 10 just outside of San Antonio, Texas, I keep seeing these giant trucks hauling giant white blades. This morning, for example, I saw four trucks that looked exactly like this:
Over the past year, I expect I’ve passed well over 500 hundred of this sort of truck hauling this sort of load. I’m almost sure that I’ve been seeing blades for wind turbines, the devices that produce electricity from wind. They’re shaped a little differently from the blades I’m familiar with, but I can’t figure out what else I am seeing.
When I moved to Texas last year, I drove through West Texas, where I was surprised to see acres upon acres of wind farms. I must confess that, as a Californian for most of my life, I figured that Texas as an “oil only” energy state. Thus I wasn’t expecting lots of wind farms.
Well, I discovered, even more to my surprise, that Texas gets more electricity from wind than any other state, almost doubling the amount of wind-power generated in California. Moreover, Texas has the largest windfarm in the world.
I also learned that T. Boone Pickens, one of the world’s wealthiest people, is investing billions in Texas wind power. He’s also working hard to get American independent from foreign oil, with wind as a central element of “The Pickens Plan.”
So much for my California green pride and bias against Texas! This state is leading the way in developing alternative energy sources. Who’d a thunk it?
Topics: Only in Texas |
5 Responses to “A Texas Surprise”
Comments
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October 11th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Rev. Mark, Thanks for another Texas feature post. After living in OKlahoma & Texas (much prefer Texas) I would’ve guessed oil was the major enery source. Thanks for the heads up on the popularity of the wind turbines of Texas!! And California always claims to be so progressive!! Ha! Thanks again & have a nice week ahead! J
October 11th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Forgive the typo on energy word Can tell have not had any coffee here in early Calif. morn. My Bad Thanks Again!
October 11th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
We also produce most of the beef for the nation. That’ll probably help your Left Coaster Smugness. (hahaha)
October 11th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Hah! I was born and raised in Sweetwater, TX (now live in DFW) and that windfarm is a welcome addition to the local color. Thankfully, now the town can be known for the World’s Largest Windfarm alongside the World’s Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up!
Welcome to Texas.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:32 am
What I find most amazing is the size of these things. You see pictures of the turbines on a hill and you have so little indication of scale. Your picture of the turbine blade really helps. Here’s another I found that shows how huge these things really are.
http://bp2.blogger.com/_cAC_TkoRadc/R_PL-NL9bvI/AAAAAAAAAPM/QUcQV1QY3hM/s1600-h/TVA+wind+turbine+blade.jpg