Aggressive Action by Public Utility Commission Boosts Texas' Lead in Wind Production

Contact:

Scott Anderson, 512-691-3410 or 512-565-3528 (cell)

Jennifer Dickson, 512- 691-3442 or 512-415-8905 (cell)

(Austin, TX - July 20, 2007) Today the PUC directed ERCOT to develop transmission plans to serve between 10,000 and over 23,000 MW of new renewable wind generation projects by 2012, increasing production sevenfold. The following statement can be attributed to Scott Anderson, Energy Policy Specialist for Environmental Defense:

“23,000 megawatts is a lot of energy coming from clean, renewable sources right here in our own state. We applaud the PUC’s aggressive action today. The legislative leadership was also a key, since they put the policies in place that made this possible. And we commend the utility industry for rising to the challenge in meeting Texan’s demands for cleaner, safe sources of energy.”

“How much is 23,000 megawatts of wind energy? By comparison, Texas added 774 megawatts of wind energy capacity in 2006. Texas is already the nation’s leading producer of wind power, and 23,000 megawatts would be a sevenfold increase. A typical coal-fired power plant has a capacity of about 600 megawatts. This could well ensure that Texas continues leading the nation in renewable energy production with these kinds of decisions taking place.”