World's largest wind farm opens in West Texas

German power giant E.On is expected to announce on Thursday that the world's largest wind farm, close to Sweetwater, Texas, is open for business and generating juice.

[Ron-Texas]

I'm definately glad to see/hear/read that they are ginning!! I still think this is the correct/proper way to go!! I like them better than coal-fired generators!! Sorry to anyone in Denton, I'm blogging on Sweetwater's blog(thread).

[Ed DeRegibus]

Ron-Texas wrote:

I'm definately glad to see/hear/read that they are ginning!! I still think this is the correct/proper way to go!! I like them better than coal-fired generators!! Sorry to anyone in Denton, I'm blogging on Sweetwater's blog(thread).

Comments 44 | Recommend 7
World's largest wind farm opens in West Texas

08:55 AM CDT on Thursday, October 1, 2009

By ELIZABETH SOUDER / The Dallas Morning News
[e-mail]

German power giant E.On is expected to announce on Thursday that the world's largest wind farm, close to Sweetwater, Texas, is open for business and generating juice.

The wind farm in Roscoe, just west of Sweetwater, boasts 627 wind turbines, with a total capacity of 781.5 megawatts.
Also Online

Blog: Texas Energy and Environment

That's huge – about as much capacity as a coal-fired power plant, and enough juice to power 265,000 homes. The farm covers nearly 100,000 acres – an area several times the size of Manhattan.

As some wind farm developers slow down in Texas, E.On keeps building. T. Boone Pickens had planned to build an even larger wind farm in the Panhandle but decided instead to disperse the turbines around the country.

"We think Texas historically has represented a good market," said Steve Trenholm, E.On's chief executive for climate and renewables in North Texas. "And it is and has been quite friendly" to wind development.

The Roscoe wind farm, which employs about 70 people, might not be the last facility E.On builds in Texas. Trenholm said he would like to build more turbines in Texas and other areas of the country.

The problem with building new wind farms in West Texas now is that wholesale power prices are depressed because the recession has reduced demand for electricity. An influx of new wind power supply also has caused prices in West Texas to drop.

Trenholm said he hopes new transmission lines can solve the problem by taking more of the West Texas wind power to North Texas and Houston. Texas is in the process of erecting $5 billion in new transmission lines to bring electricity generated by wind power in West Texas to urban areas.

Still, he said, his wind farms are profitable right now. "They're not where we would like them to be, but they're doing OK under this environment," he said.

On a global basis, E.On reported earnings of $73.6 million for the first half of this year from its climate and renewables unit.
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Posted by Ed DeRegibus | 1 hour ago

What a great article. Kudos to the Dallas Morning News and everyone involved with this project. How refreshingly farsighted of them.
They have positioned themselves to be able to meet demand when the American auto industry converts to electric power not long in the future. Good to see Texas convert from the past (oil) to the future ( renewable, clean, energy)! Way to go Texas! ED DeRegibus, Farmville, VA.

[Ron-Texas]

Ed DeRegibus wrote:

<quoted text>
Comments 44 | Recommend 7
World's largest wind farm opens in West Texas
08:55 AM CDT on Thursday, October 1, 2009
By ELIZABETH SOUDER / The Dallas Morning News
[e-mail]
German power giant E.On is expected to announce on Thursday that the world's largest wind farm, close to Sweetwater, Texas, is open for business and generating juice.
The wind farm in Roscoe, just west of Sweetwater, boasts 627 wind turbines, with a total capacity of 781.5 megawatts.
Also Online
Blog: Texas Energy and Environment
That's huge – about as much capacity as a coal-fired power plant, and enough juice to power 265,000 homes. The farm covers nearly 100,000 acres – an area several times the size of Manhattan.
As some wind farm developers slow down in Texas, E.On keeps building. T. Boone Pickens had planned to build an even larger wind farm in the Panhandle but decided instead to disperse the turbines around the country.
"We think Texas historically has represented a good market," said Steve Trenholm, E.On's chief executive for climate and renewables in North Texas. "And it is and has been quite friendly" to wind development.
The Roscoe wind farm, which employs about 70 people, might not be the last facility E.On builds in Texas. Trenholm said he would like to build more turbines in Texas and other areas of the country.
The problem with building new wind farms in West Texas now is that wholesale power prices are depressed because the recession has reduced demand for electricity. An influx of new wind power supply also has caused prices in West Texas to drop.
Trenholm said he hopes new transmission lines can solve the problem by taking more of the West Texas wind power to North Texas and Houston. Texas is in the process of erecting $5 billion in new transmission lines to bring electricity generated by wind power in West Texas to urban areas.
Still, he said, his wind farms are profitable right now. "They're not where we would like them to be, but they're doing OK under this environment," he said.
On a global basis, E.On reported earnings of $73.6 million for the first half of this year from its climate and renewables unit.
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Comments (44)
Posted by Ed DeRegibus | 1 hour ago
What a great article. Kudos to the Dallas Morning News and everyone involved with this project. How refreshingly farsighted of them.
They have positioned themselves to be able to meet demand when the American auto industry converts to electric power not long in the future. Good to see Texas convert from the past (oil) to the future ( renewable, clean, energy)! Way to go Texas! ED DeRegibus, Farmville, VA.

Ed, they have the Wind Turbines set up, also a bunch east of Sweetwater, then on up Hwy.84 toward Snyder-Lubbock. But the Transmission Lines/Towers are still being built. And I personally(born/raised in Sweetwater) think this is a great way to produce electricity. Teneska(another electric provider) is trying to build a Coal GeneratorPlant north-east of Town, but has run into water/local protest/air pollution problems.

[NW Hominid]

How will this effect the well being of the tumbleweed habitat, former Bliss occupant...

[Bluebonnets-This tle]

Go Texas, lead the way!!!

[Ron-Texas]

NW Hominid wrote:

How will this effect the well being of the tumbleweed habitat, former Bliss occupant...

Well Sir, in this general(Sweetwater east) area it's mostly covered in Mountain Cedar, Prickly-pear cactus, rattlesnakes(skinny Cattle Ranches, goats/sheep[not much to graze on]. Roscoe area west/north is Cotton Farms. You have to get to Big Springs,Tex.and west to get into the old tumbelweeds/sand. Abundant around Midland/Odessa. Shouldn't affect much. The Wind Turbines 65 feet tall, blades slowly turn with the wind, make no noise, change directions with the wind, have gear reduction, so they can turn just about any speed, and still produce electricity. Totally Enviornmental friendly! No Pollution what-so-ever! Oncor which is a spin off of TexasElectric/Texas Power and Light/Houston Power and Light/Dallas Power and Light/TXU, is trying to get the Federal Government to help with the finances on the Power Grid(Transmission lines/towers). That's the slight delay right now.

[Ron-Texas]

NW Hominid wrote:

How will this effect the well being of the tumbleweed habitat, former Bliss occupant...

Thanks for your time served in the Military!!