A Conduit for Commerce
Wind energy industry can funnel money into Big Country, officials say

By Melissa Borden
Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 29, 2005

SWEETWATER - If a few opportunities can be tapped, most people who attended a seminar Friday agree, wind could be a new engine that drives West Texas economic growth.

More than 100 wind energy experts, developers, area leaders and landowners discussed growing economic opportunities in West Texas' wind industry at a meeting at Texas State Technical College West Texas in Sweetwater. Many were optimistic the region can train necessary workers, encourage businesses to locate here and transmit power generated to electric customers.

Many rural West Texas towns that have been floundering since oil ran dry in the 1980s are looking at wind to jump-start their economies.

Since the 1990s, wind farms have settled everywhere from Hudspeth County near El Paso to Trent, just 20 miles west of Abilene. A new project is under construction in Taylor County, about 3 miles southwest of View.

Friday's event was designed to recruit area officials and others to join the West Texas Wind Energy Consortium. The consortium's purpose is to increase area economic development, education and job training.

As "opposed to just sitting on the road and watching it, it's trying to get a dialogue going," said consortium Executive Director Greg Wortham. "We also want to drive jobs here. ... Why should they set up an office in Houston and ship everything here? Why not put manufacturing here. Why not build here?"

Wind Clean, a Coleman company, already has established its niche in the wind industry.

Trinity Industries, which manufactures turbine towers in the Dallas area, ships raw metal towers to Wind Clean. There, crews finish and install electronics and equipment in the tower shafts, which are up to 200 feet tall.

Wortham said the manufacturing of turbine blades and other parts could complement the growing industry.

Former state Rep. Bob Turner, a rural-issues consultant in Coleman, agreed.

"I think there's a possibility for some of these ancillary jobs", Turner said. "The blades are manufactured somewhere else - sometimes overseas. I think there's all sorts of related industry that could be talked into relocating in this area, especially because this is a hub now."

TSTC and the West Central Texas Workforce Development Board could provide training and help develop an area job bank, Wortham said.

"We've been interested for a long time in developing industry clusters," said Nancy Smith, a spokeswoman for the development board. "We've got a lot of folks out here in our region that have the skills, but we need a ... centralized clearinghouse to develop a job bank."

Wind farm construction can also bring revenue to area contractors, suppliers and workers.

In Nolan County, the Trent Mesa Wind Project was valued at $104.2 million in 2004; the Sweetwater farm was valued at $26 million. Local counties, hospitals and school districts can receive significant tax revenues.

"It's been phenomenal," said Nolan County Judge Tim Fambrough, "from the standpoint of construction workers and the fuel they buy, and the meals they eat and the motels that have seen business."

The key component to developing a wind farm industry now is being able to transmit power generated here to power customers.

Wind energy developers will not invest the costly capital - about $1 million per turbine - to build a farm if they cannot get the energy out to consumers.

Transmission lines in far West Texas have reached full capacity. It takes five to seven years to build transmission lines. The Big Country area still has transmission capacity available.

Another obstacle to overcome is a lack of consistent legislation.

The infant industry cannot keep up with the high capital costs without incentives. Federal incentives and renewable energy standards have pushed development forward. But when incentives lapse, development typically stops.

Another tool is renewable portfolio standards, which mandate how much renewable energy must be produced in the state each year.

Currently, no national standard exists. Texas' standard is roughly 2,000 megawatts of electricity by 2009.

The wind energy industry hopes the state Legislature will require at least 10,000 megawatts by 2015. The average home uses one megawatt a year.

The Texas Legislature is expected to consider renewable portfolio standards this session.

Legislative action can lead to development because developers can be assured the market will be there, said Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association Executive Director Russel E. Smith.

"If they can establish the (renewable portfolio standard) through 2015, that's certainty," Smith said. "Just like any product, you've got to have a way to ship it. It's one thing to have it, but another to get it out there."

1,800 -- Approximate megawatts of energy that wind energy turbines throughout West Texas can produce at maximum capacity.

1.5 -- The megawatt capacity of most turbines.

715 -- Approximate megawatts that come from Borden, Nolan, Scurry and Taylor counties.

1,000 -- kilowatts, or one megawatt is about how much electricity the average home uses each year.

Contact business writer Melissa Borden at bordenm@reporternews.com or 676-6736.

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