Texas ranks 6 in renewable energy output

October 29, 6:33 PMDallas Environmental Policy ExaminerCaroline Calais

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Dallas Environmental Policy Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Windmills in
Hansford County,
Texas (AP photo) 

Leading in oil and natural gas production, and rich in wind, solar and biomass energy potential Texas seems to have it all. Not so. Renewable energy resources contribute so far only minimally to the Texas power grid, producing about 3.6 percent of the state’s total energy.

With solar and biomass resources still untapped,  2.7 percent of the state’s 8,496 megawatt hours of renewable energy today comes from wind;  Texas surpassed for example California as the country’s largest wind energy producer in 2006.

Still, despite its lead in wind power generation capacity – there are for example over 2,000 wind turbines in West Texas alone - Texas only ranks number 6 in total renewable energy output. The first place is held by Washington producing 84,510 megawatt hours of renewable energy, California is second with 71,938 megawatt hours produced, and Oregon producing 39,720 megawatt hours is third.

  For more info: go to Energy Information Administration at www.eia.doe.gov