Climate Action
The War on Wind Rages in Texas
September 30, 2024
Texas leads the nation in wind-powered electricity generation, producing a staggering 28% of wind energy in the U.S. in 2023. With its ideal wind conditions and ample open space, the Lone Star state hosts over 15,300 wind turbines — the most in the country. This wind energy boom has greatly benefited communities in Texas, such as Throckmorton County, where tax revenue and investments generated by a wind farm have allowed the school district to establish a new STEM program and build new facilities.
Yet, Texas also remains the nation’s top oil and natural gas producer too, so perhaps it is not surprising that opponents of renewable energy constantly push the narrative that wind and solar are unreliable. After the devastating Winter Storm Uri in 2021, many Conservative politicians and media outlets blamed failures in renewable energy for the blackouts that left 69% of Texans to face freezing temperatures without power. Although coal, natural gas, and nuclear-powered plants were responsible for nearly twice as much power loss as renewable energy sources, this claim has unfairly continued to fan the flames of anti-renewable sentiment in the state.
Texas Politicians Are Wary of Wind
Following Storm Uri, Governor Greg Abbott wrote a letter directing the Public Utility Commission of Texas to increase energy production from coal, natural gas, and nuclear sources, and to penalize renewable energy producers for the variability of their energy generation. He argued that these steps were necessary to ensure energy reliability and an even playing field for renewables and non-renewables.
In line with that letter, Abbott signed Senate Bill 13 into law. S.B. 13 prohibits certain state agencies from investing in companies that boycott the fossil fuel industry. Proponents of the law argue that such companies’ embrace of the environment, social, and governance framework (ESG) — in which they consider environmental impacts when choosing their investments — has given renewable energy an undue advantage. Of course, if we really want to discuss unfair advantages in the Texas energy industry, it is important to note that oil and gas producers enjoy generous tax breaks that excused them from paying just over $1.4 billion in 2023 alone.
At the end of August this year, the American Sustainable Business Council sued the state over this law, arguing that it is unconstitutional. The outcome of this suit — and thus the fate of Senate Bill 13 — remains to be seen.
Continuing to ride the wave of doubt about the reliability of renewable energy, legislators passed Senate Bill 2627 in 2023. This establishes a program to provide low-interest loans and grants to facilities that produce energy from nonrenewable sources such as coal, natural gas, and nuclear power. Renewable sources like wind are ineligible to receive funding from this program, which seems to be shamelessly giving nonrenewables a leg up.
These crackdowns on renewable energy come as wind electricity generation employs over 27,000 Texans and has the potential to generate $20.3 million in tax revenue for Texas counties.
Why then, are these politicians so vehemently opposed to wind energy? Unsurprisingly, the answer lies in the power of the fossil fuel industry.
Blowing Hot Air: Fossil Fuel Interests Lead The Opposition
The state’s growing hostility toward renewables is due in large part to the efforts of organizations that heavily promote fossil fuels. One of the most notable of these is the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a non-profit organization based in Austin.
Several members of TPPF’s board of directors hold top leadership positions within the fossil fuel industry, such as Chairman Kyle Stallings, the founder and CEO of the oil and gas investment company, Desert Royalty Company, and Tim Dunn, the CEO of CrownQuest Operating, a natural gas and oil company. Moreover, some members of its board are among the largest political donors in the state, including Dunn, who has contributed over $18 million to conservative candidates and political action committees.
With TPPF’s close ties to the fossil fuel industry and conservative politicians, it enjoys substantial influence over the state’s energy policies, even, as reported in The Guardian, directly crafting and editing anti-renewable legislation.
In addition to targeting politicians, TPPF also tries to sway public opinion against renewables. For instance, they published a paper furthering the false claim that unreliable renewables were responsible for the blackouts during Storm Uri, asserted that decarbonization is unnecessary and economically harmful, and even went so far as to publish an AI-generated picture of a dead whale in front of wind turbines, despite there being no evidence of offshore wind farms killing whales. This kind of misinformation and fear-mongering is detrimental to public support for wind energy.
But Wait, There’s More!
Even if a wind project overcomes these formidable challenges and its turbines are ready to start spinning, the battle is not over yet. The electricity generated from these turbines still needs a way to reach consumers — something that is not as simple as it may sound.
Wind farms are typically located in rural areas with a lower population density and lots of available land, while most of the electricity demand is in densely populated and industry-heavy areas. Transmission lines are needed to bridge this gap.
In 2013, Texas completed its construction of a network of over 3,500 miles of high-voltage transmission lines to carry wind power to population centers. However, the state’s transmission capacity remains far behind its renewable energy generation and wind turbines produce more electricity than the grid can accommodate.
Yes, you heard that right. Wind — the so-called “unreliable” energy source — is producing a surplus of electricity.
The grid is designed to transmit electricity at a frequency of 60 hertz (Hz), which means the current alternates 60 times per second. This frequency is crucial for maintaining the stability of the grid. When electricity generation exceeds demand, the grid can become overloaded. This excess can cause the frequency to rise above 60 Hz. If the frequency rises too much, it can destabilize the grid and potentially lead to blackouts.
To prevent this, electricity producers (like power plants) might need to reduce their output, a process known as “curtailment.” By cutting back on how much electricity they generate, they help keep the frequency stable and ensure that supply matches demand, preventing potential disruptions to the grid. In short, maintaining that 60 Hz is key to a reliable electricity supply, and curtailment is one tool used to manage it effectively.
In 2022, Texas had to reduce its wind energy production by 5% because the transmission lines — essentially the pathways that carry electricity — couldn’t handle all the electricity being generated. As a result, some of that clean, renewable energy wasn’t used and by 2035, curtailment is expected to more than double. Each time wind energy is curtailed and producers are forced to operate below their full capacity, it is a lost opportunity to utilize clean energy in the nation’s largest energy-consuming state.
Wind curtailment can be significantly reduced by transmission expansion. According to the Department of Energy, Texas will need to increase its transmission capacity by 140% by 2035 to accommodate clean energy growth. This presents a great challenge, as building new transmission infrastructure can take 3-6 years. Without immediate action to address this issue, transmission lines will remain a critical barrier to the full deployment of the state’s wind energy resources.
The other solution is investing in energy storage systems to store excess electricity for later use, and enhancing demand response programs that incentivize consumers to shift their usage during peak times. Additionally, diversifying energy sources by incorporating solar and other renewables, modernizing the grid for better flexibility, and enacting supportive policies and regulations would facilitate the effective integration of renewable energy. Together, these strategies can help Texas fully utilize its abundant wind resources.
Renewable Energy Needs Your Support
The problems facing wind energy in Texas are not unique. Across the United States, renewable energy is under attack from fossil fuel-backed legislators and interest groups, and insufficient transmission infrastructure prevents wind energy from being used at its full potential. These delays to the clean energy transition threaten our health, environment, and future.
What can you do about it? Make your voice heard! If you live in the U.S., write your state lawmakers and tell them to invest in renewable energy projects.
The theme for Earth Day 2025 is Our Power, Our Planet. Find out how you can get involved in the global movement for clean energy.
Together, we can fight for a renewable-powered future.
