Texas to bid for wind research facility

Associated Press
Friday, 25 August 2006

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas will bid for a proposed Department of Energy wind turbine research and development facility, the state's land commissioner said Thursday.

The facility would be able to test wind turbine blades reaching 230 feet. Applications for the site are due Oct. 2.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates the project to cost approximately $5 million, assuming the building is leased rather than bought.

"This test facility will be a magnet for research and manufacturing," Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said. "It will establish Texas as a worldwide leader in wind power for the next 100 years."

Patterson said the state is well-suited for the facility with its ports, strong Gulf Coast winds and industrial know-how.

Long known as a top oil- and natural gas-producing state, Texas recently gained acclaim as the nation's top producer of wind energy.

Texas capacity stands at 2,370 megawatts, enough to power 600,000 average-sized homes a year, according to a midyear report released Tuesday by the American Wind Energy Association.