[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WIND FARMS IN THE WATERS OF THE GULF COAST

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                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 23, 2008

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, Texas is now the number one wind energy state 
in the country, producing more power from wind than any other state. 
Texas is also the first state to allow wind energy production offshore, 
energy, which could not only power our homes and businesses, but also 
pay for the education of our children.
  The Gulf Coast currently has unused oil equipment in its waters. 
Those structures now have a new purpose, as wind turbines utilize oil 
and gas platforms off the Texas-Louisiana coast in the first U.S. 
offshore wind energy farm. The shallow waters of the Gulf make economic 
sense for wind farms. Wind farms consist of turbines that harness clean 
energy and offer another option outside of natural gas. The coastline 
has a far-reaching continental shelf, in some areas extending 80 miles, 
while having water depths less than 150 feet. Texas, long a major 
player in the oil and gas industry, is now a major player in wind 
energy. In this region, the best wind for generating energy blows mid-
day, when electricity demand is the highest. Therefore, the electricity 
generated from wind farms off the Texas coast will be highly valued by 
utility companies.
  Wind Energy Systems Technology (WEST), conceived by Herman 
Schellstede and Harold Schoefller, will be lining nearly 74,000 acres 
of water with wind farms, which includes part of my district, in the 
waters off of Jefferson County, on state owned land. Construction of 
the wind farms should begin in 2009. Once completed, the offshore wind 
farm will produce enough electricity to provide power to about 40,000 
homes. By comparison, an equal amount of electricity would require 
about 20.7 million barrels of oil, or 6.5 tons of coal to produce. By 
not burning these fossil fuels to create this amount of energy, the 
wind farm will displace approximately 2.7 million tons of carbon 
dioxide each year.
  It is in our best interest to research and develop alternative energy 
sources to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, in order to become 
more energy independent. With natural gas depleting, wind farms should 
become more abundant in the coming years, as wind power becomes more 
competitive and the technology more efficient. Wind is a clean energy 
resource with substantial environmental benefits and offers one of the 
lowest marginal costs of production. This renewable energy means 
renewable revenue. Some have reported that wind energy provides more 
jobs per dollar invested or per kilowatt-hour generated, than most 
conventional resource options. With total installed U.S. wind power 
capacity now over 16,800 megawatts or enough to serve the equivalent of 
4.5 million average households, wind was the second largest source of 
new electrical capacity in the Nation, behind only natural gas, for the 
past 3 years.
  Wind power is part of our country's sustainable energy solution, and 
I applaud WEST for their foresight and innovation.

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