4 Mar 2012
(US) PECOS COUNTY-Every workday before sunrise, 10 BP workers gather on a West Texas sheep farm for morning calisthenics. They need loose limbs to manage BP's 22,000 acres in the oil-rich Permian Basin, where temperatures can soar beyond 110°F. The oil giant leases the land from struggling farmers to expand its reach in the energy world. But you won't find any oil wells or drilling rigs here.BP and other energy companies are funneling millions into building and operating wind farms in West Texas, helping to transform oil country into one of the nation's leading hubs for green energy production. Skylines dominated by nodding pump jacks are increasingly spotted with spinning turbines. Economies tied to the ebb and flow of commodity prices are finding stability in supplying the power grid.
"We've been through lots of booms and busts with the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas areas deplete over time", said Doug May, economic development director for Pecos County in West Texas. "The wind resource here is sustainable. We look at these wind farms as a long-term investment in the future of Pecos County".
Recent energy analyses have forecast that renewable fuels-including wind, solar and biofuels-will be the world's fastest growing energy source in coming decades. BP's own outlook predicts that the country's renewable energy production will surge 252% over the next 20 years. Wind will lead the pack, forecasts indicate. wind farms have proliferated across the U.S, over the last decade. Now they generate about 3% of the nation's electricity and about 7% of the state's, according to the US Energy Information Association.
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