WASHINGTON, DC, US, June 6, 2007.
The state of Texas could account for two-thirds of new wind capacity in the United States, which demonstrates that Renewables Portfolio Standards can play a key role in accelerating development.
When he was governor of Texas in 1999, George Bush signed the state’s RPS into law and Texas now has the largest amount of wind capacity in operation, says the American Wind Energy Association. The industry provides income to rural communities, new business and jobs, in addition to clean renewable power.
The U.S. wind industry is on track to install 3,000 MW of wind turbines across the country this year, with Texas expected to account for 2,000 MW. More than 1,000 MW are under construction in Texas now, says AWEA, and each MW generates electricity to serve 250 to 300 homes.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas suggests that 2,000 MW of new wind power would displace the emission of 3 Mt of CO2 each year, reducing the carbon footprint of every resident of Texas by 250 pounds per year. There are 22 states with an RPS and, “given the economic success of the policy and the urgency of addressing global warming, several have recently moved to strengthen their requirements,” explains AWEA.
In recent months, New Mexico and Colorado both increased their renewable energy requirement to 20% by 2020, and Minnesota adopted an RPS of 25% by 2025. At the federal level, 50 Senators recently called for a “strong” national RPS and AWEA predicts that Congress will consider RPS legislation this summer.
“Clean, cost-effective, inexhaustible and readily available, wind power is an essential element of the solution to both climate change and America’s increasing demand for electricity,” says Randall Swisher of AWEA. “Texas recognized this business opportunity and successfully spurred wind power development with a RPS and other forward-looking policies.”
“The moment has come for the U.S. government to build on the example set by Texas and many other states, and enact a national RPS as part of any energy legislation it considers this year,” he adds.
The first 100 MW of turbines installed this year were completed in Oklahoma (60 MW), Maine (33 MW), Texas (10 MW) and Hawaii (21 MW), with the cumulative wind power capacity in the U.S. now at 11,699 MW. This capacity will generate 31 billion kWh of green power a year, enough to serve 3 million homes.
“Already one of our nation’s top agricultural producers, Texas is now reaping the benefits of being a top wind producer,” explains Ned Meister of the Texas Farm Bureau. “Texas’ RPS is fuelling new economic and environmental benefits for Texas farmers and ranchers.”
Windfarms can revitalize the economy of rural communities by providing steady income to farmers, ranchers, and other landowners, AWEA explains. Each turbine contributes US$3,000 to $5,000 per year in income, while 98% of the land remains free for crops or grazing.
AWEA is airing a series of radio advertisements in support of a national RPS on the expectation that a vote in the U.S. Senate will happen in early June. The ads are part of a larger campaign that includes phone calls and e-mails by allied groups, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists, U.S. PIRG, Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers.
In addition to being broadcast in the capital, the ads will be aired on radio stations in states whose Senators have not yet indicated their support for the RES, including Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Tennessee and Virginia.
“A national Renewable Energy Standard is an essential element that must be included in any serious attempt to address the issues of energy supply and global warming,” says Swisher. “This is a landmark opportunity for the new Congress to affect global warming in a meaningful way.”
The renewable standard to be debated by the Senate would require utilities to obtain 15% of their electricity from wind, solar, biomass or geothermal by 2020.
