The U.S. Energy Information Administration records show that Texas set a new record for instantaneous peak wind production at 8:48 p.m. on March 26, reaching an output level of 10,296 megawatts (MW). "At that moment, wind supplied almost 29% of total electricity load," according to Energy Information Agency's website.
Graph of Texas (ERCOT) hourly wind generation, as explained in the article textAt 8:48 p.m. on March 26, wind generation on the electric grid covering most of the state of Texas reached a new instantaneous peak output of 10,296 megawatts (MW). At that moment, wind supplied almost 29% of total electricity load, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the grid's operator. The average wind production in that hour was 10,120 MW.
Texas currently has more than 12,000 MW of operational utility-scale wind capacity (see graph below)—about one-fifth of the total wind capacity in the United States.
The significant slowdown in wind additions in 2013 mirrored the national trend, which reflected the lapse of the federal production tax credit (PTC) at the end of 2012. That lapse encouraged those with facilities under construction to complete them and begin operation before the end of 2012 in order to receive the tax credits ... The subsequent one-year extension in early 2013 required only that plants commence construction in 2013 to be eligible to receive the tax credits after the start of operations at a later date.
This output record has been enabled not only because of the record amount of wind power generating capacity in Texas, but also is a result of the completion of a upgrade and expansion of the electrical transmission lines called the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) connecting the western and eastern parts of the state.
Bobby Magill and Climate Central writing in Scientific American report Wind Power Production Record Broken in Texas.
Though the March 26 wind power output record supplied 29 percent of ERCOT’s load at that moment, wind power has provided for a larger share — up to 38.43 percent — of the load at times of low demand, EIA industry economist April Lee said.
“Texas leads the nation in wind capacity, more than double the next state (California), so it’s safe to say that no other state has come close so far,” Lee said via email.
Scientific American reports that more than 26,000 megawatts of potential wind generating capacity is now under study.
We don't need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing in Texas.
