| As a result of state and federal economic incentives, as well as a favorable regulatory and economic environment, Texas has become a world leader in wind energy development over the past decade. As concern about global climate change heightens, however, Texas is going to have to make even greater expansions to its renewable energy portfolio. Because wind is an intermittent source of energy that cannot be perfectly forecasted, continuing to invest almost solely in wind energy will lead to several problems as the percentage of electricity produced by wind farms increases. The amount of avoided pollutants, including carbon dioxide, per installed unit of wind generators will decrease, increasing the cost of reducing emissions. The reliability of the electric grid will be reduced as power from wind reaches higher percentages. Investing in a diverse portfolio of renewable energy sources, energy storage, and utilizing the communications network can help solve these problems. |
