Winds Of Change

You could fit six Kentuckys in the land area of Texas and still have room for West Virginia.

And while Texas ranks #2 in the potential for wind energy, behind North Dakota, Kentucky comes in 34th. Although that 34 is misleading—it’s actually a 17-way tie for last place.

So it might seem strange that this month’s The Future of Electricity column reports on wind power in Texas.

But as Kentucky and the rest of the nation struggle toward energy goals like reliability, affordability, independence, and sustainability, the Texas-size wind experiment offers a real-world laboratory to test ways of developing a big new source of energy.

Last month, The Future of Electricity column focused on the practical hurdles utilities face in delivering power from new sources of electricity, to meet our continually growing demand for electricity. Connecting a patchwork of transmission lines, while following numerous, conflicting, and changing laws and regulations, adds huge levels of difficulty and expense to the complex work of making and delivering electricity.

This month the column gets more specific. Texas has been moving aggressively to develop its wind energy. With more than 2,000 wind turbines in place, and more on the way, the state is learning lessons about what’s involved in moving energy from the windy plains and ridges to the places people live.

One essential ingredient is the construction of 2,400 miles of new transmission lines. Oops. That was the first estimate. After public hearings and negotiations with landowners about acceptable routes for the lines, the estimate grew to more than 3,500 miles.

And then there’s the question of how to pay for this new infrastructure. One likely solution will be a $5 a month charge on every Texan’s electric meter.

Giant wind farms aren’t likely in Kentucky. But the search for more energy will certainly reveal that every new fuel source brings with it a set of difficult realities.

From wind farms in Texas, to the coal that generates nearly all the electricity in Kentucky, to individual efforts to use energy more efficiently at home, we’ll all need to be learning more about the costs and benefits of our energy options.