This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

November 28, 2012

Largest Texas Grid Operator Sets Wind Power Record

The major Texas grid operator reported a record for wind energy generation this month. Credit: Todd Spink

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the state's largest grid operator, set a new state record for wind energy production on November 10. Wind power output reached 8,521 megawatts (MW), representing nearly 26% of system load at the time, surpassing the previous instantaneous record by more than 150 MW. ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to 23 million Texas customers, totaling 85% of the state's electric load.

Nearly 7,000 MW of the new record included wind power from West Texas wind farms, followed by more than 1,100 MW from wind farms along the Texas coast. ERCOT has more than 10,000 MW of wind power capacity, with nearly 21,000 MW of additional wind generation under review for development. The completion of high-voltage transmission projects by the end of 2013 will improve ERCOT's ability to move wind power from West Texas to the metropolitan areas, where demand on the grid is highest. See the ERCOT press release.