• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

FPL Energy's Texas Wind Farms Have Positive Environmental and Economic Impact

Posted on: Monday, 29 January 2007, 12:00 CST

FPL Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of FPL Group (NYSE:FPL) said today that its wind farms continue to help meet the growing need for emission-free electricity in Texas while providing new economic opportunities for local communities and the state.

FPL Energy, through its subsidiaries, invested nearly $1 billion in Texas in 2006 and currently has 11 wind farms in operation in the state. With a net capacity of more than 1,600 megawatts, the wind plants are capable of generating electricity for close to 400,000 Texas homes. In 2006, the wind farms offset fossil-fueled power generation emissions totaling more than 2.3 million tons of carbon dioxide; more than 5,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and over 2,000 tons of nitrogen oxide that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere if not for the wind farms.

FPL Energy owned wind projects in Texas generated more than 3.6 million megawatt hours of electricity in 2006. To produce the same amount of electricity using coal as generated by FPL Energy's wind farms in Texas, you would need nearly 17,000 rail cars full of coal, stretching approximately 117 miles, or the distance from Houston to San Antonio.

"FPL Energy leads the way in Texas with the development and operation of clean, renewable wind energy," said Eric Silagy, vice president of business management for FPL Energy. "Wind is a clean, renewable source of energy that emits no pollutants into the air or water, has a minimal impact on the land and contributes to the economic well-being of local and other communities throughout the state. Wind power can and should play a larger role in our energy independence and helping the environment."

Although a wind farm may be built across many acres, the wind towers and access roads use very little acreage, leaving the land surrounding the wind towers available for other uses by the landowners. Texas wind farms are built on crop and grazing land and mesas used for hunting. All of those activities continue on the land leased to FPL Energy affiliates by Texas landowners.

In addition to the environmental benefits, the 11 wind farms have had a significant economic impact in the state. In 2006, these 11 wind projects provided a significant direct and indirect economic impact to Texas generating tens of millions of dollars in the form of state and local tax payments, salaries, lease payments and locally purchased goods and services, all helping to revitalize rural communities throughout the state.

Nationwide, FPL Energy's fleet of wind turbines generated more than 9.4 million megawatt hours of electricity in 2006. Together the 49 wind projects offset emissions totaling nearly 6.4 million tons of carbon dioxide; more than 14,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and more than 9,100 tons of nitrogen oxide that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere if not for the wind farms.

FPL Energy is a leading competitive energy supplier utilizing clean fuels such as natural gas, wind, solar, hydroelectric and nuclear to generate electricity. It is the world's leader in wind energy, with 49 wind facilities in operation in 15 states. It is a subsidiary of FPL Group, (NYSE:FPL) one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of nearly $16 billion. FPL Group's principal subsidiary is Florida Power & Light Company, one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving 4.4 million customer accounts in Florida. Additional information is available at www.FPLEnergy.com, www.FPLGroup.com and www.FPL.com.

Note to Editors: High-resolution logos and executive head shots are available for download at http://www.fpl.com/news/contents/logos.shtml .

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category