Texas is one of two states chosen to receive federal support to build wind technology testing centers. The $20 million projects are backed by public colleges.
U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says each project will receive up to $2 million from the Energy Department to test equipment to develop large-scale wind blade testing centers.
Selected for the federal funds are the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Partnership and the Lone Star Wind Alliance. The Massachusetts project involves building a center along Boston Harbor. The Lone Star Wind Alliance proposes a test facility just north of Corpus Christi, at Ingleside-on-the-Bay.
BP, which has a history of developing cutting edge technologies and is an acknowledged leader in the development of alternative energy, generously donated 22 acres of land for the effort. BP also donated $250,000 toward funding the facility.
The facility will test large wind blades, with an ultimate goal of testing blades up to 330 ft. long. This capability will help the wind industry have the potential to supply up to 20 percent of the electricity consumption in the United States.
According to the American Wind Energy Association, Texas is firmly established as the leader in wind power development, with over 2,700 megawatts installed at the end of 2006 and some 1,000 megawatts currently under construction.
The facility will be a public-private partnership, organized through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. Private wind turbine and blade manufacturers are expected to fully fund the operations of the facility within five years of construction.
The Texas Legislature played a crucial role in securing the facility, pledging $5 million toward its construction. State Sen. Judith Zaffirini carried the $5 million request, and Gov. Perry signed off on it in the final budget. Another $5 million is pending final approval through the state's Emerging Technology Fund.
General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson compared the potential impact of the test facility to that of NASA in Houston during the space race in the 1960s.
