Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: Energy Special

Around the outskirts of Abilene, sky-high, white turbines stand as a fleet on a mission to produce clean, renewable energy. With the surrounding flat land, these turbines are similar to mountains, as if the tops are reaching up into the sky.

Some people do not encourage or like these turbines, while others see them as a tall opportunity to better the environment. All of these apparent turbines have recently made their way to West Texas, and do not be surprised when these skyscrapers take over the land and become what West Texas will be known for: wind energy.

Horse Hollow, 15 miles southwest of Abilene, is the largest wind farm in the world, producing 735 megawatts across a stretch of 47,000 acres. One megawatt produced is enough energy to serve 250-300 homes on average each day.

West Texas alone is home to more than 45 wind farms, including the largest in the world. For the past five years, wind farms have been popping up all over the place - outside Abilene and all the way to Lubbock and San Angelo.

With Texas being the top wind producer with more than 4,500 megawatts installed and the country becoming more environmentally concerned, wind farms will continue to make their way to West Texas.

According to the American Wind Energy Association Web site, awea.org, two-thirds of predicted growth of wind energy will occur in Texas.

Right now, more than 20 wind farms are in the works in West Texas alone. With the United States producing about 15,000 megawatts in 34 states and West Texas alone producing about 5,000 megawatts, Texas provides one-third of the nation's wind energy.

Because people from other cities can buy wind energy, Taylor and the surrounding counties do not receive all of the energy produced by the farms. However, the counties do receive at least half of the energy produced and benefit a lot more economically than other counties do.

Greg Wortham, president of the West Texas Wind Energy Consortium and mayor of Sweetwater, said, "West Texas, and especially Abilene, is now more stable with wind energy - we will be here much longer because of wind farms."

Wortham went on to talk about the small towns surrounding Abilene that were losing population and businesses every year (Abilene included) before the arrival of the wind farm.

"Trent is a small town outside of Abilene. Most people probably have never heard of it. Trent would not be a town anymore if it weren't for wind farms," Wortham said.

Wind farms provide small towns, like Trent, businesses, schools and a lot of jobs. With all of these in a town, it will not disappear off the map and continue to grow while more and more farms are built.

So how do these small towns benefit Abilene?

Some people who run wind farms around Trent and other small towns live in Abilene because it provides more than a smaller town would.

And even if people who work on the farms live in a small town, they come to Abilene to do their shopping and take care of situations that are only offered in Abilene. Abilene benefits economically from smaller towns and is additionally provided with a clean source of electricity.

The unemployment rate in Abilene is at a low 3.4 percent. This low rate is not entirely because of wind farms - construction of a farm calls for more than 100 workers; people are needed to transport the turbines to the farm. Each tower calls for at least 10 workers, and numerous people are in charge of running the farm. These farms have provided thousands of jobs for Abilenians and the surrounding counties; they are keeping unemployment low.

With the wind farms creating all of these jobs, the farms need experienced people who know what they are doing to run them. The Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater offers a wind energy technology associates degree program to provide students with the skills necessary to facilitate an easy transition into the wind energy industry.

"If this booming new industry continues to grow and demand more workers, people are going to need to be educated about all aspects of a wind farm and the turbines," Wortham said. "This is happening so fast - a lot of jobs are needed, and experience would benefit the farms."

In addition to job creation, wind farms have provided Abilene with higher property value, adding to the tax base and bringing more people and money into area schools. "Every time there are new schools built, people move there," Wortham said. "Abilene is more stable with wind energy."

Randy Hill, ACU alumnus and local investor and business owner, owns six turbines on his ranch 20 miles southwest of Abilene. Hill talked about renewable energy being the energy source of the future, and since West Texas has some of the best wind in the U.S., now is a good time to get involved.

"The industry is not mature right now; in its early stages. There is a lot of opportunity for investing while fresh and new," Hill said.

Hill said these farms are good for Abilene's economy, income for land owners, development, job creation, higher wages and tax dollars being put into property values.

"Now people who want to buy land in Taylor County will face higher prices. Instead of paying $300, they will pay $1,000," Hill said.

Taylor County is now booming because of renewable energy development.

"The development we have seen so far is small compared to what the next 10 years will bring; we have not even scratched the surface," Hill said.

Abilene has recognized all the benefits from wind farms, and the Abilene Industrial Foundation is encouraging more building
now and in the future.

The foundation is working with various companies to travel to Abilene to look at what the city has to offer, as well as advertising in the North American Journal: good location and prime spot for building.

The foundation has had a good response from the ad, and numerous groups have traveled to look at Abilene as a possible spot for a farm.

"Another positive for Abilene and surrounding towns is the wind will not stop blowing," Wortham said. "Turbines will stay, and Abilene is in good hands."

Electricity generation is the largest industrial source of air pollution in the U.S., which is mostly generated by coal, the most polluting fuel and largest source of the leading greenhouse gas: carbon dioxide. All of the wind farms and future wind farms in Taylor County and West Texas benefit the environment with a safe and friendly energy source, as well as providing Abilene with a well-off, stable economy.

"Abilene continues and will continue to receive the benefits," Wortham said. "Abilene is running strong and will continue to because of wind farms."


E-mail Snelson at: sas04b@acu.edu