Blowing and going
Sector’s share of power generation has risen each year for a decade
Wind generation keeps shattering records in the Lone Star State.
Wind power has long been considered “alternative energy .” But in Texas, that label may soon no longer apply.
While most ofT exas’ power still comes from coal and natural gas, those power plants face unprecedented competition from wind farms, according to a report released by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which over sees 90 percent of Texas’ electricity grid.
Wind’ s share of power generation has grown each year over the past decade and accounts for nearly all of the new generation added to the grid over that period,ER CO T. Ten years ago, only 14 counties in ER CO T’ s system had wind farms, but in 2016 there were wind farm sin 50 counties.
The growing presence of wind in Texas has driven down wholesale power ER CO T tracks by the minute. Bursts of wind powerputreal-timepower prices into the negatives— essentially, free power—a bo on for Texas customers but frustrating for merchant power operators trying to make money by selling natural gas, coal-fired and nuclear power.
Wind energy pushed realtime prices into the negatives for 130 hours last year, more than double the 50 hours in 2015.
Wind power continues to shatter generation records in Texas. In the early morning hours of March 23, wind accounted for 50 percent of the state’ s power, the highest percentage to date. The previous record was set last year, on Christmas Day, when wind power accounted for nearly 47 percent of power on the grid.
As these record-breaking performances show, however, wind in Texas typically blows when the grid doesn’ t need it—a tnight and in non-summer months, when demand is low. Nonetheless, so many wind turbines are operating in Texas that even when they are at their lowest output, the energy added to the grid is notice able.
Wind power is expected to make greater gains in 2018, according to the short-term energy outlook released last month by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Most of the nation’ s wind turbines are in the Mid western belt that includes West Texas, the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle, Kansas and Iowa. Overall, a quarter of power capacity in the United States comes from wind, according to the Energy Department, and a quarter of U.S. wind power capacity is found in Texas.
By the end of last year, the nation’ s wind capacity was 81,000 mega watts —1 mega watt is enough to power around 200 homes on a hot Texas day. The Energy Department projects that wind generation capacity is expected to grow another 50 percent to 102,000 mega watts by the end of 2018. Wind turbines contributed more capacity to the electricitygrid than any other renewable energy source, according to the Energy Department.
Solar power, meanwhile, is also growing rapidly. Utility-scale solar capacity,which has expanded exponential ly in the past two years, is expected to increase by 48 percent by the end of 2018 to 32,000 mega watts. Seven years ago, the U.S. had fewer than a thousand megawatts of utility-scale solar capacity.
Wind power continues to shatter generation records in Texas.