Texas sets wind power record as coastal wind grows

[nofurylike]

October 18, 2011

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/1...ZL20111018

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The amount of electricity produced from wind on the afternoon of October 7 set a record at 7,400 megawatts, more than 78 percent of the 9,400 MW of installed wind capacity in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

That's well above the average 30 to 40 percent of nameplate electric capacity that wind farms typically produce.

Texas leads the nation in carbon-free electric capacity from wind turbines but wind at the lion's share of the state's wind farms in West Texas, built by NextEra Energy and others, generally blows the strongest during the evening hours and in the spring and fall months when power demand is low.

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Wind represents nearly 58 percent of all new generation seen in planning stages over the next few years, according to a monthly ERCOT report.

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