Last Updated on July 7, 2023 by Mary Pressler

A Snapshot of the Wind Power Industry in Texas

The state of Texas is the undisputed wind power leader in the USA. According to the latest quarterly report by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), released on July 26, there are now 90,004 MW of wind power capacity in the country. Texas accounts for 23,262 MW, slightly over 25% of the total.

  • If Texas was a country, it would rank 5th globally in wind generation capacity.
  • In December 2017, wind generation surpassed coal in Texas, now occupying the second place after natural gas.

During 2018, Texas has continued leading wind power deployment in the country. AWEA reports 1,032 MW of new capacity since the year started, and 664 MW correspond to Texas. Most of this capacity is concentrated in three large wind farms:

  • Flat Top (200 MW)
  • Rattlesnake Wind (160 MW)
  • Santa Rita (300 MW)

There is also a 3.67-MW project called the UL Advanced Wind Turbine Test Facility, owned by West Texas A&M University. The installation sells its electricity output to Xcel Energy, but it also serves research and educational purposes.

The four states that follow Texas in new capacity are Illinois, California, Michigan and Nebraska, adding up 337 MW so far in 2018. Nationwide, wind power projects that are currently in the development phase add up 37,794 MW of capacity, and 21% of them will be installed in Texas.

texas wind power