A Texas Toast

Wind Power on the Rise in Lone Star State

Texas is probably not the first place that comes to mind when the topic turns to clean energy -- but the land of fossil fuels is looking to become a leader in renewable power by investing heavily in wind energy. The state is already the second-largest wind-energy producer in the country, trailing only California. In the last three years, Texas has upped its wind-power capacity from under 200 to over 900 megawatts, or enough to power about a half-million homes. The state wants to see that number climb to 2,000 MW by the end of the decade, and optimists say it could go much further than that, to as many as 10,000 MW or more. That would still be just a fraction of the 77,000 MW generated by coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power in Texas, but with the state legislature offering tax breaks and credits for clean energy, it could easily become a reality, renewable energy advocates say.