Wind turbines as far as the eye can see

You don’t believe me, right? Well, in Texas everything is bigger, so they say. And for Wind Energy, absolutely. Driving to Lubbock, TX from Austin, TX is quite an experience. Making the journey at night is even better. When you hit I-20 east of Abilene, TX you start to see some red lights in the dark sky, here and there in small clusters. You could think these are antennae or cell towers. As you make it through Sweetwater, TX and turn onto US-84 you get reminded of some Sci-Fi movies. As far as the eye can see red synchronize blinking lights in the dark sky, hundreds. It is surreal, never have I seen anything like it. To further my confusion once in a while an overwhelming smell came through the A/C. As I drove the first time I had no idea what all of this was, until next morning. Wind turbine installations on every rim and ledge and high plain for optimized wind capturing. And in between oil and gas wells (that's the smell), cotton farms and room for solar. The wind and sun are there plenty, and transmission lines for the wind energy too (though need to be more). Wind blows on the edges of the day typically, so solar energy can use during the midday the same transmission lines with really no congestion… Driving to Lubbock and its Texas Tech University made it clear to me:

Texas, the Sustainable Energy State.

Texas is oil, yes and it has build up a true global technology leadership all around it. Texas is Wind, and it is Solar. Texas is bio mass. Texas is marine and land based technologies, and has hydro along the Colorado River. And it is building up technology leadership all around these areas too.

Texas is Energy, sustainable.

What a place to be in today’s times, it’s all here, great technology with it’s leading Universities, Energy and High Tech companies and entrepreneurs, a unique infrastructure as Texas has its own electric grid (ERCOT); some of the best places nature has for all of these energy forms; and its people. If y’all not from Texas, look up the amazing history of the Alamo, that will explain it. And as they say, it all comes Texas sized! Don’t believe me? Today Texas has approximately 1/3 of the US wind generation (8/24/09: OK I rounded up, it's 28.4% according to http://www.awea.org/projects).