EPA recognizes Texas cities for green energy use

Which comes first, the generator or the transmission lines? This has been the dilemma of utility companies and the growing wind energy potential in West Texas.

According to a SECO report (State Energy Conservation Office), "Developers are reluctant to build wind farms where transmission lines do not exist, and utilities are reluctant to install transmission lines in area that do not yet have generators."

An Illinois developer noted, "Great wind isn't really a great resource unless you have access to the market."

SECO says the greatest challenge facing the wind industry is that wind farms can be built more quickly than transmission lines (one year to build a wind farm; five years to build transmission lines).

Texas already leads the nation in wind energy production; however, they have taken an even bigger leap by enacting legislation that will encourage construction of additional transmission lines that could deliver 10,000 more megawatts of renewable energy by 2012.

The EPA recently recognized the cities of Dallas and Houston in the Top 25 list of Green Power Partners nationally, for purchasing a significant percentage of their energy from renewably wind power sources.

"These renewable resources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conventional power technologies and produce to net increase to greenhouse gas emissions," according to an EPA press release last week.

Although Jasper County is not involved in wind energy production in East Texas, the school lands owned by the county in Pecos County are under contract for wind exploration and development. If wind farms are built, Jasper schools will earn royalties on the energy that is generated.