Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Symposium Date
Spring 4-24-2013
Abstract
Since the 1980s, California has been the leader in wind energy for the United States. In 2004, wind energy produced 1.5 percent of the state’s electricity. That is 4,258 x 108 kilowatt hours per year. The California wind farms producing the most energy are located in three regions: Altamont Pass, Tehachapi, and San Gorgonio. Research for California will be focused on the southern part of the state – the regions of Tehachapi and San Gorgonio. Presently, California has five major wind farms. This project will examine the major wind farms in both Texas and California. California was in the number one spot for wind energy production in the United States until 2006, when Texas took the lead. Texas is currently the number one wind energy producer in the United States with major wind farms in its central and eastern regions. In 2010, wind energy produced 12 percent of the electricity in Texas. In 2011, Texas created 1,039 x 104 kilowatt hours per year of energy. Roscoe Wind farm, the largest in Texas, produced 800,000 kilowatt hours per year alone. This is enough to power approximately 265,000 homes. Texas currently has 32 major wind farms. Major wind farms will be defined as farms with wind turbines producing more than 120,000 kilowatt hours per year. California can prove to other states on the shores that multiple wind farms are not necessary to produce a valuable amount of energy.
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Alexandra, "Watts Up with That: Comparing Wind Farms in Texas and California while Explaining Why Farm Quantity Does Not Overcome Wind Quality" (2013). Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 272.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cus/272
Biographical Information about Author(s)
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