14 DAY TRIAL // According to recent figures made available by grid operator the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, this past March 26 was one very special night for this US state. Thus, it was on said date that Texas' wind power industry established a new record in terms of clean energy generation.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas details that, according to information at hand, the state's wind power output on the night of March 26 surpassed 10,000 megawatts, media reports inform.
Since the state's energy sector had an overall output of 35,768 megawatts on this date, this means that wind power alone accounted for as much as 29% of Texas' total power generation on March 26.
According to Clean Technica, the Lone Star state's record wind power output was one of 10,296 megawatts, and was documented at 8:48 p.m. local time. This record is said to have beaten the previous record by an impressive 600 megawatts.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas claims that most of the wind power output that helped the state establish its clean energy output record on March 26 came from green energy facilities located in West Texas. Thus, wind power capacity up and running along the Gulf Coast is said to have provided just 1,433 megawatts.
By the looks of it, Texas owes its record-breaking wind power generation not only to investments in facilities that harvest this type of renewable energy. On the contrary, a new and massive high-voltage transmission system connecting wind farms in West Texas to load centers in the east is said to have also had a say in the matter.
This system, known as the West Texas transmission lines, is said to have cost $7 billion (about €5.08 billion) to set in place. However, given the fact that it will make it possible for this US state to double its ability to integrate green energy into its grid, the investment seems well worth it.
Presently, Texas has an installed wind power capacity of 11,000 megawatts. Another 8,000 megawatts are either under construction or in their planning stages, and an impressive 26,700 megawatts are being considered and might be given the green light in the near future.
What's interesting is that, despite its investments in clean energy, Texas continues to be a major oil producer. Thus, a report issued by the US Energy Information Administration yesterday says that, in 2013 alone, the state's oil output accounted for 35% of the country's overall production. Besides, the state's oil output has increased by 119% since 2010.