Texas leads the U.S. in wind-powered generation capacity and is building substantial new capacity. West Texas alone has more than 2,000 wind turbines, with more on the way as development costs fall and wind turbine technology improves. Last year, the state’s 40-plus wind farms produced more than 9,400 megawatts in power. One megawatt is roughly enough electricity to power 500 Texas homes under normal conditions.

According to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, wind energy generated 7.8 percent of the state’s energy in 2010, up from 6.2 percent in 2009. Coal plants provided 39.5 percent, up 2.9 percent and natural gas provided 38.2 percent, down 3.9 percent from 2009. Nuclear power generated 13.1 percent, down from 13.6 percent in 2009. The rest came from water and other sources.

Related stories:
Wind blown: What effects are wind turbines having on the ecosystem?
Birds in the bush: How students are conducting field research to gauge wind turbines’ impact on birds