Governor Rick Perry says the state must diversify its energy portfolio in order to protect the environment, reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy and to grow the state’s economy.
“Texas is home to some of the brightest minds in the energy business, both in the private sector and at our world-class universities like Texas Tech,” he says.
“This TETF investment will ensure that Texas can continue to add wind capacity and prepare to connect wind farms to the grid and our major cities, helping address the growing energy needs of a population that is expanding by about 1000 people per day.”
Texas committed to wind energy
Texas has installed more wind power capacity than any other state in the USA and all but four other countries, and it is developing new transmission lines that will move 18 GW across the state.
“The importance of what we are doing today cannot be overstated from the standpoint of what the future of this country is going to look like,” Perry adds.
“Texas always powered the nation and, thanks to a new generation of hard workers and visionaries, Texas is leading the way on the renewable energy front.”
Texas Tech will partner with the National Institute for Renewable Energy (NIRE) and will support the National Wind Resource Center (NWRC), a non-profit organization formed by Texas Tech that focuses on wind power research and education through collaboration. NWRC pursues competitive funding to accomplish its research initiatives.
Collaboration on wind energy research
NIRE is a public-private partnership that builds and operates research wind farms, develops other renewable energy research facilities, operates an industry-wide renewable energy consortium in coordination with the Wind Alliance, and provides commercial services to industry partners. NIRE will provide an ongoing funding mechanism to support the research of the NWRC.
“Texas Tech is nationally recognized as a leader in wind energy research,” says Kent Hance, Chancellor of Tech.
“As our country moves toward energy independence, Texas Tech will continue to create innovative solutions and make advancements in all areas of the power generation sector.
“Because of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, consumers will benefit more quickly from the ever expanding investments in wind power generation technologies,” he adds.
Texas Tech has been involved in wind science and engineering for 40 years, and currently offers the only Ph.D. program in wind science and engineering in the US.
TETF is a US$200m initiative created by the Texas Legislature in 2005, and was reauthorized in 2007 and in 2009. To date, it has allocated US$154m in funds to 111 early stage companies and US$161m in grant matching and research superiority funds to Texas universities.