Report Says Texas Has Greatest Wind Power Capacity
Greg Junek
Who says Californians are greener than Texans?
Although some might say Texans are full of “hot air” when they start bragging about their beloved land, folks in Texas are putting the wind to good use.
Although some might say Texans are full of “hot air” when they start bragging about their beloved land, folks in Texas are putting the wind to good use.
A report by the Global Wind Energy Council says the Lone Star State has the most active installed wind power capacity in the country.
Texas had 4,356 megawatts of installed capacity at the end of last year, while California had 2,439 megawatts. Placing third was Minnesota with 1,299 megawatts.
They were followed by Iowa with 1,273 megawatts and Washington with 1,163 megawatts.
The United States has 16.8 gigawatts of installed capacity, which is second only to Germany, with 22.3 gigawatts. Spain places third, with 15.1 gigawatts.
The council’s report said North American gigawatt capacity will grow by about 8.5 percent each year through 2012.
By the way, since it’s summer, Texans are full of hot air (and proud of it, too).
Local Income
In 2006, Tyler had a per capita personal income of $33,569, which ranked 135th in the country and was 91 percent of the national average, $36,714.
According to an April report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, the area’s 2006 PCPI reflected an increase of 5.3 percent from 2005, a bit less than the 2005-2006 national change of 5.6 percent.
A decade ago, Tyler had a PCPI of $21,826, and was ranked 164th in the United States. The 1996-2006 average annual growth rate of PCPI was 4.4 percent. The average annual growth rate for the nation was 4.3 percent.
According to the report, Tyler had a total personal income of $6.54 billion in 2006, placing it 197th in the United States. In 1996 the TPI — which includes net earnings by place of residence; dividends, interest, and rent; and personal current transfer receipts received by Tyler citizens — was $3.63 billion, which placed it 204th in the nation.
Tyler’s 2006 TPI reflected an increase of 7.7 percent from 2005, while the 2005-2006 national change was 6.7 percent. Tyler’s 1996-2006 average annual growth rate of TPI was 6.1 percent, while the average annual growth rate for the nation was 5.4 percent.
The report said net earnings increased 6.7 percent from 2005-2006. Dividends, interest and rent increased 10.5 percent; and personal current transfer receipts increased 8.3 percent.
From 1996 to 2006 net earnings increased on average 6.2 percent each year. Dividends, interest and rent increased on average 5.3 percent and personal current transfer receipts increased on average 6.5 percent.
Earnings of persons employed in Tyler increased 6.4 percent, from $4.71 billion in 2005 to $5.02 billion in 2006, according to the bureau’s report. The national change during that period was 5.7 percent.
TAB On ANWR
A report by the Texas Association of Business said scholars and lawmakers are saying the only way to lower gasoline prices at the pump is to increase the domestic supply.
While Americans require more oil and gas today than ever, the amount of domestically produced oil and gas has decreased each year. Official estimates indicate that in the past 20 years, domestic oil production has decreased by 40 percent, while consumption has increased by about 30 percent.
As a result, gas prices have been increasing slowly over the years.
Guests at a recent TAB National Affairs Conference said a vast supply of natural resources exist, but were designated off-limits to drilling.
This includes the long-debated Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which Congress approved for exploration in 1995 prior to a presidential veto. Other oil-rich regions deemed off-limits by environmental activists are the Outer Continental Shelf, which is offshore, and shale fields in the Midwest.
“The supply of oil that could be produced from ANWR today would be more than the (nation) currently receives from Saudi Arabia,” the TAB narrative said. “If the moratorium on drilling in the offshore supply alone was lifted, the government estimates we would produce (approximately) 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The additional resources would result in a much needed shift toward lower prices at the pump.”
The TAB indicated its position is that an appeal to Congress to approve legislation to increase production is swelling across the country, and it will grow stronger as prices at the pump increase over the summer.
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