The Turbines
Wind Turbines near Fluvanna, Texas in August 2014
Why the Turbines?
In various places online, I’ve used a photo of wind turbines as an icon or background picture. The narrative is more cohesive in hindsight, but it wasn’t arbitrary either.
These images are derived from a set of photos like the one above, which I took in 2014. They are on a wind farm near Fluvanna, TX which is in Scurry County. A public road runs through the middle, with turbines fanning out on either side.
As I was growing up in west Texas, my parents worked in the oil & gas business. We travelled around the Permian Basin, and across Texas and New Mexico. Pumpjacks, tank batteries, lease roads, and even drilling rigs became familiar. This was a big part of the economy in the small town where I grew up, along with farming and ranching.
Later, as the first wind turbines became technically and economically viable, wind farms began to spring up. Today, Texas produces more wind power than any other state and more than most countries. There are over 150 wind farms across the state, and many are in the region where I grew up. (see wikipedia) When you drive the area at night, you can see numerous red lights blinking and dotting the horizon. These are the airspace warning lights mounted on the turbine nacelles. They usually flash in synchrony.
There are many other interesting details about wind power in Texas, including the relationship between the high winds in the Pahandle and the ERCOT grid servicing the rest of Texas, but that’s a story for another time.
Around 2008, when wind farms were on the rise, I lived back in west Texas (again) with my new family. I learned a lot about wind farms, even helping with a development project in Crosby County. This included writing a response to an RFP, outsourcing the installation of a meteorological tower, helping setup the tower control panel, and regularly collecting the data stored. We never secured a development deal, but it was a memorable time.
Looking back, it was an interesting dynamic. The old met the new as renewable wind energy rose up alongside traditional oil & gas energy. Both continue to thrive and are an important part of west Texas and the South Plains. Pumpjacks and turbines are a regular sight across farms and pastures.
Other Pictures
