diablo234
March 7th, 2012, 12:09 AM
Article on the growth of wind farms in West Texas.
http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/11/66/61/2583621/3/628x471.jpg
Winds of change in W. Texas
By Simone Sebastian
http://www.mysanantonio.com/living_green_sa/article/Winds-of-change-in-W-Texas-3383499.php
Updated 11:45 p.m., Monday, March 5, 2012
PECOS COUNTY Every workday before sunrise, 10 BP workers gather on a West Texas sheep farm for morning calisthenics.
They need loose limbs to manage BP's 22,000 acres in the oil-rich Permian Basin, where temperatures can soar beyond 110 degrees.
The oil giant leases the land from farmers and ranchers to expand its reach in the energy world.
But you won't find any oil wells or drilling rigs here.
BP and other energy companies are funneling millions of dollars into building and operating wind farms in West Texas, helping to transform the oil country into one of the nation's leading hubs for green energy production.
Skylines dominated by nodding pump jacks increasingly are spotted with spinning turbines. Economies tied to the ebb and flow of commodity prices are finding stability in supplying the power grid.
We've been through lots of booms and busts with the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas areas deplete over time, said Doug May, economic development director for Pecos County.
The wind resource here is sustainable. We look at these wind farms as a long-term investment in the future of Pecos County.
Recent energy analyses predict renewable fuels including wind, solar and biofuels will be the world's fastest-growing energy source in coming decades. BP's own outlook predicts the country's renewable energy production will surge 252 percent over the next 20 years.
Wind will lead the pack, forecasts indicate. Wind farms have proliferated across the United States over the past decade. Now they generate 3 percent of the nation's electricity and 7 percent of Texas', according to the U.S. Energy Information Association.
That's an incentive for corporations built in the oil patch to launch businesses invested in wind farms, said John Graham, president of BP's wind energy division.
If you look at the energy growth and what the world needs, renewables are the fastest-growing piece of that, Graham said. If you want to be exposed to a growing part of the energy mix, then renewables makes sense for a company like ours.
Since BP's wind division launched in 2005, it has built an average of three turbines a week. Texas has become home to one of every three.
In addition to BP, West Texas has attracted wind farms built by NextEra Energy Resources and American Electric Power.
AEP was among the pioneers of West Texas wind farms. The company, based in Columbus, Ohio, built a 100-turbine site in Trent in 2001 and acquired a 107-turbine farm in Iraan that year.
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/energy/article/Winds-of-change-in-W-Texas-3383499.php#ixzz1oNgkNyMb
http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/11/66/61/2583621/3/628x471.jpg
Winds of change in W. Texas
By Simone Sebastian
http://www.mysanantonio.com/living_green_sa/article/Winds-of-change-in-W-Texas-3383499.php
Updated 11:45 p.m., Monday, March 5, 2012
PECOS COUNTY Every workday before sunrise, 10 BP workers gather on a West Texas sheep farm for morning calisthenics.
They need loose limbs to manage BP's 22,000 acres in the oil-rich Permian Basin, where temperatures can soar beyond 110 degrees.
The oil giant leases the land from farmers and ranchers to expand its reach in the energy world.
But you won't find any oil wells or drilling rigs here.
BP and other energy companies are funneling millions of dollars into building and operating wind farms in West Texas, helping to transform the oil country into one of the nation's leading hubs for green energy production.
Skylines dominated by nodding pump jacks increasingly are spotted with spinning turbines. Economies tied to the ebb and flow of commodity prices are finding stability in supplying the power grid.
We've been through lots of booms and busts with the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas areas deplete over time, said Doug May, economic development director for Pecos County.
The wind resource here is sustainable. We look at these wind farms as a long-term investment in the future of Pecos County.
Recent energy analyses predict renewable fuels including wind, solar and biofuels will be the world's fastest-growing energy source in coming decades. BP's own outlook predicts the country's renewable energy production will surge 252 percent over the next 20 years.
Wind will lead the pack, forecasts indicate. Wind farms have proliferated across the United States over the past decade. Now they generate 3 percent of the nation's electricity and 7 percent of Texas', according to the U.S. Energy Information Association.
That's an incentive for corporations built in the oil patch to launch businesses invested in wind farms, said John Graham, president of BP's wind energy division.
If you look at the energy growth and what the world needs, renewables are the fastest-growing piece of that, Graham said. If you want to be exposed to a growing part of the energy mix, then renewables makes sense for a company like ours.
Since BP's wind division launched in 2005, it has built an average of three turbines a week. Texas has become home to one of every three.
In addition to BP, West Texas has attracted wind farms built by NextEra Energy Resources and American Electric Power.
AEP was among the pioneers of West Texas wind farms. The company, based in Columbus, Ohio, built a 100-turbine site in Trent in 2001 and acquired a 107-turbine farm in Iraan that year.
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/energy/article/Winds-of-change-in-W-Texas-3383499.php#ixzz1oNgkNyMb