Texas is the current leader in energy usage, but the state still has a long way to go before it becomes a true renewable energy utopia. Texas still relies on oil and gas for its energy, so windmills are rare and solar panels not widely available. State support will be required for a widespread transition to renewable energies.
Natural gas
Texas' economy is heavily dependent on natural gas. In 2006, the oil and gas industry employed 312,000 people and contributed 14.9% to the state's gross state product. What happens if natural-gas prices rise further? What effect will this have on ratepayers What can Texas do about this?
In Texas, natural gas production is concentrated in and around the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly 33% of the total world's natural gas reserves is located in Texas and Louisiana. The state is home of the nation's largest processing capacities. Texas' largest offshore natural gas field is Barnett Shale. It is located in the Bend Arch Fort Worth Basin.
The new pipeline will transport enough gas every day to supply 1.5 million homes across Europe and Texas. This will aid Texas's increasing need for natural gasoline for air conditioning. However, on Monday the state's grid reached peak demand and the Public Utility Commission of Texas(ERCOT) asked Texas residents for energy conservation.
Many oil and energy companies reside in the state. The government oversees how companies manage their operations, and ensures the safety of the environment. They regulate air emissions as well as flaring. Operators that do not comply can lose their Texas licenses.
Wind energy
Texas has wind energy. There are over 150 wind farms in the state, which produce over 30,000 MW of electricity. This represents a significant source of clean energy and a large percentage of state energy consumption. Texas is investing heavily to develop wind energy.
Texas is seeing wind energy grow, which has both economic and environmental benefits. This growth poses challenges to grid reliability. This is why policymakers must address these issues now to prevent a crisis. Analysts have suggested many options, but no single solution has been found to work. A combination of pure free and capacity markets may prove to be the most efficient.
Wind and solar energy are both important to Texas' energy mix. Although solar energy is a smaller part of Texas' electricity mix, it is still growing rapidly. Texas generated about 4% of its electricity last summer from solar energy. This number is expected grow to 7.2% next summer. Solar energy is especially important in summer when winds speeds tend to be slower. In addition, the sun beats down even harder during the summer, so building out more solar energy will help to deal with the summer heatwaves.
Wind power projects are increasingly becoming popular, and Texas is a leader in wind power generation. Texas, second after Alaska in terms of state size, is home to many outstanding wind sites. Wind power projects can also be cheaper than electricity produced from coal. The process of building a wind turbine farm in Texas is very simple.