Offshore Wind Farm

[eastsider]

The State of Texas has signed an agreement with Louisiana based Wind Energy Systems Technologies (W.E.S.T.) to build the United States' first offshore wind-energy farm. W.E.S.T. will lease 11,355 acres from the state located about seven miles off the coast of Galveston Island. The lease will run for 30 years and will bring in at least $26.5 million for the state's Permanent School Fund for public education.

W.E.S.T. will first build two meterological towers to determine the best location for the wind farm. Then 50 wind turbines will be built with the hubs rising 260' above sea level and the blades reaching 55 yards in length. It is expected to take 5 years to build the wind-energy farm at a cost of $300 million. The wind farm will produce 150 megawatts of power, enough to power 40,000 homes. Currently, Texas ranks only behind California in electrictity produced by wind.

Houston Business Journal: Louisiana firm to build huge wind farm offshore Galveston

Austin American-Statesman: Company leases 11,000 acres off Texas coast for wind farm

[eastsider]

It was announced that Superior Renewable Energy, based in Houston, will lease 39,900 acres for what will be the nations largest offshore wind farm.

The lease gives a private company rights to acreage off Padre Island National Seashore just south of Baffin Bay to build a wind farm that eventually will generate up to 500 megawatts of power, enough for a city of 125,000 houses.

Constuction on this wind farm should begin in four years and initially have 100 turbines and could end up having as many as 500.

San Antonio Express-News: Gulf wind to be harnessed