| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Wind Power News: Texas
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational mission to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law. The original articles, links to which are provided, may have additional links and photos and other media that were not included here.
Wind farm eyeing land in Fannin County
A wind farm could be making its way to Fannin County. At Thursday nights Honey Grove council meeting, Fannin County Judge Randy Moore, informed members of the council and public about the future of their town. Judge Moore said he was contacted at the end of last week about Ceilo Wind Farm eyeing land in the county. He said the proposed 72 windmills planned would stretch from South of Dodd City Off of FM 2077 and goes east to south . . . Complete story »
Texas tornado takes down wind turbines
The wind was too strong. Meteorologist Payton Malone shared a photo on social media that shows the impact a Texas tornado had on several wind turbines this week. Texas reported 18 tornados this week as a line of storms pushed through and apparently, one of the tornados in North Texas took out the turbines. As you can see here, the turbines were no match for winds that were estimated to be well over 130 mph. For the last couple of . . . Complete story »
Graveyard of the green giants
Right across the road from the town cemetery in Sweetwater, Texas, sits another graveyard where the dead are never buried. Some 4,000 worn-out giant wind turbine blades are piled as far as the eye can see, taking up most of a 25-acre field. Windmill blades can be longer than a Boeing 747 wing – more than 300ft – and weigh up to eight tons, so these have been sawn into three pieces with a diamond-encrusted industrial saw. They’re still imposingly big, although . . . Complete story »
Texas wind power critics, Northeast fishing advocates meet at Austin forum
Advocates for the East Coast fishing industry sat down with free-market critics of wind power for a panel in Austin, Texas, where a conservative legal foundation has taken the fishermen’s fight to federal court. Hosted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the discussion featured Meghan Lapp, fisheries liaison for Seafreeze Ltd. and Seafreeze Shoreside, Narragansett, R.I., and Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association. “There’s basically been wholesale sellout by the federal government of our fishing . . . Complete story »
Cost of green energy
Re: “Put damaging fossil fuels in the past,” Other Views, Tuesday: It appears that the ability to use rational thought is not a requirement to be a professor at Texas A&M University since Andrew Dessler states, “Energy sources like wind and solar whose price – zero! – is set by nature.” Wind and solar are definitely not free sources of energy. The costs to build and maintain wind farms and solar farms are astronomical. The reliability of those sources is strictly weather . . . Complete story »
Photos, video show train slamming into semi-truck hauling wind turbine blade in Luling
LULING, Texas – Videos and pictures are circulating on social media, displaying a harmful crash in Luling involving a train and a semi-truck that was hauling a wind turbine blade. The metropolis of Luling is nearly an hour away from San Antonio, and 25 miles west of Seguin. The crash occurred Sunday afternoon after the semi-truck was seemingly stopped on the railroad tracks on Highway 183 for an unknown motive. Just moments later, the railroad crossing gate’s arms got here . . . Complete story »
Train blasts through truck carrying wind turbine propeller through Luling
BEXAR COUNTY (KTSA News) – A Union Pacific train crashed into a truck hauling a wind turbine propeller in Luling Sunday afternoon. Witness videos show the truck was turning north onto Magnolia Avenue from Pierce Street to continue its journey along U.S. 183 through the town at around 2:40 p.m. Sunday. Caleb Brandon, via Facebook The truck appeared to be stopped on the tracks as it was navigating the turn. Witness video shows the railroad crossing arms then start lowering onto . . . Complete story »
VIDEO: Train crashes into 18-wheeler with wind turbine blade attached
LULING, Texas – An 18-wheeler pulling a wind turbine blade rolled over after being struck by a train in Luling on Sunday. Union Pacific officials said the train collided with the 18-wheeler around 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of U.S. 90 and U.S. 183. The Luling Police Department said the Northern Lights Specialized Transport truck was partially across the railroad track when it was struck by the train. The truck and trailer were overturned. Police said the trailer split, and . . . Complete story »
Young County hosts third wind farm hearing
Before approving an extended reinvestment zone for a proposed wind farm in Young County and the tax abatement and road use agreements, the Young County Commissioners Court hosted a public hearing. The hearing allowed the public to ask questions and voice their opinions, either for or against, the Apex Wind Farm Reinvestment Zone. The main issue voiced during the public hearing was a wind farm’s effects on the land value of the neighboring properties that do not have wind turbines. . . . Complete story »
Texas reportedly blocks Chinese billionaire’s wind farm amid hacking fears
Texas lawmakers are blocking a Chinese billionaire from setting up a wind farm near a US military base over fears it could be used to hack into the state’s power grid, according to reports. Sun Guangxin, 59, spent five years buying up 140,000 acres in southwest Texas’ Val Verde so he could build the Blue Hills Wind Farm. The cost of the land, which is close to Laughlin Air Force Base, is estimated to be about $110 million, Forbes reports. . . . Complete story »
