Energy capitol invests in wind power

Houston Chronicle:

Hoping to stabilize a $150 million annual electricity bill, Houston officials have negotiated a contract to ensure that a third of the city's power is generated by wind.

If approved, the contract would make Houston a leader among local governments across the country using renewable energy.

The mandate for wind as part of the annual 1.3 billion kilowatt hours needed to power city buildings, street lights and water plants comes from Mayor Bill White, who has made energy conservation a theme of his tenure.

"It puts us in a definite leadership position," said White, a former chief operating officer at the U.S. Department of Energy during the Clinton administration. "We are ahead of the curve."

City Council could consider the contract as soon as next week.

The mayor sought the changes after hurricanes Katrina and Rita disrupted the production and delivery of natural gas — a common fuel at Texas power plants — prompting electricity prices to soar.

The city spent roughly $150 million during the last fiscal year on electricity, paying a rate of roughly $91 per 1,000 kilowatt hours. Wind rates generally are cheaper, experts say.

City officials, who have seen Houston's electricity bills nearly double since 2004, hope the new source will help control those costs over the five-year deal, starting next summer.

...

Goldman Sachs would offer the city electricity — about a third of the average demand — generated by a Shackelford County wind farm operated by Horizon Wind Energy.

...

Texas has becoming a leader in wind energy. It is one of the few states that does not put a lot of impediments on the production of energy from various sources. Houston's role as the energy capitol of the country makes the transition a littler more interesting.