Texas has added more wind-based capacity than any other state, according toa recent Wall Street Journal article.
The Lone Star state still embraces its oil and gas, and Texas has garnered many headlines leading role in the fracking revolution. But the state has also quietly been becoming a renewable energy powerhouse.
As of April, wind turbines accounted for 16% of the state’s electrical generating capacity. And Texas is now also anticipating a huge surge in solar power. Perhaps most impressively, Texas has largely managed to stay above the political fray on this subject.
While debates rage over climate change, Texas has worked within the state’s free-market-based electricity system. And in the process, it has built a successful renewable energy program. Federal renewable energy subsidies are expected to decline in coming years. Even so, state officials say wind and solar will play a significant role in the state’s energy future.