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Texas

Updated July 2010

Contacts:

Overview of Status:

Although Texas has great potential for onshore wind development, two offshore wind developers have secured leases in Texas state waters. The Texas General Land Office regulates development in waters up to 10 miles from the state's coast, whereas most Atlantic seaboard states only have jurisdiction out to 3 miles.

Proposed Projects:

Baryonyx Corporation was awarded two offshore leases by the Texas General Land Office in 2009. Both leases are for tracts in Texas state waters.

Wind Energy Systems Technology (WEST) received state consent for building Galveston Offshore Wind Phase I, a 150 MW project proposed for approximately 8 km off the Galveston coast. WEST has over 17 months of data from an offshore met tower. WEST also has state approval for Galveston Offshore Wind Phase II, another 150 MW proposed project.

Policy and Regulation:

The Texas General Land Office (which oversees development up to 10 miles from shore) conducted the first open bidding for offshore wind site leases in 2006. The Office then undertook a wind resource assessment initiative.

Texas has the stated goal of developing 5,880 MW of wind energy capacity (both onshore and offshore) by 2015. Land-based wind will account for the majority of this development, but offshore wind may play an increasing role.

Studies, Research and Development:

The National Institute for Renewable Energy (NIRE) was formed in 2009 by collaboration between the Innovate Texas Foundation and the Texas Tech University System. The NIRE "vision is to resolve the key scientific and technology issues facing the renewable energy industry and to create standards in technology and prognostic meteorology to maximize wind power efficiency."

The University of Houston won $2 million from DOE in 2007 for construction of a wind turbine blade research and testing facility. The University signed a Competitive Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NREL in May 2008, and since then has worked with The Wind Alliance to build government, industry, and academic support. The facility will be called the Texas National Large Wind Turbine Research and Test Center and will be able to test blades up to 100 meters in length.

In 2005 the University of Houston led the formation of a collaborative called the Lone Star Wind Alliance. In 2008, 30 stakeholders signed an MOU agreeing to create an independent entity that would advance the group's initiatives. The Wind Alliance emerged from this process as a group that "develops infrastructure, technology and workforce through pre-competitive business integration and collaborative projects between industry, academia and government within the U.S."

Texas State Technical College and Texas Tech University partnered to form the Texas Wind Energy Institute. The state purpose of this Institute is "to develop curriculum, course and programs, expand capacity and recruit and prepare students to meet the workforce need of the rapidly growing wind power industry in Texas."