Who knew a “free” source of energy could be so expensive?
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas recently estimated that billions of dollars in investment will be needed to transmit wind-generated electricity from the areas of Texas most suitable for wind generation—West Texas and the Panhandle—to the areas of the state that need energy the most—the I-35 corridor and the upper Gulf Coast. These costs will be borne by Texas ratepayers. How did we get here? Renewable energy mandates and subsidies have paved the way for Texas’ wind energy boom. Today, Texas leads the nation in installed wind power capacity, adding 1,708 megawatts (MW) in 2007, bringing its total to 4,446 MW by the end the year. California is a distant second, with a total of 2,439 MW by year’s end. In 2007, 0.77% of the nation’s total electric generation came from wind energy; here in Texas, wind accounts for 2% of total generation. Robust wind power expansion is expected, as Texas producers are required to generate 5,880 MW of renewable energy by 2015 and face a 10,000-MW ta
