Windfall Tax Revenues From Wind Power

From Abilene to Midland Texas there is a wind power boom of sorts going on. The economy in west Texas has benefited from these projects by way of tax revenues growing in leaps and bounds. The city of Blackwell Texas is an example. In a two year period the property tax roll climbed from 325 million dollars to 1.2 billion dollars because of the revenues from four wind farms in that area. Blackwell is building a new school that would not have been possible were it not for the wind farms. New computers and improved curriculum are benefits of the wind farm projects in the area as well.
When most people think of Texas, they think oil and gas. Ironically Texas leads the nation in wind power capacity. They currently boast 5,800 megawatts which in itself is a substantial amount of power. However if predictions for new transmission lines are met, then the number will increase to 18,000 megawatts.
There are no shortage of investors lining up to finance new wind farms in the wide open spaces of west Texas. They include Florida based FPL Group, and many others. The wind farms are being promoted by many prominent Texans including T. Boone Pickens a Texas billionaire. There are very few detractors of the wind farms with the exception of Gillespie County. The county is a tourist attraction due to scenic views and a popular hiking destination. They opposed the wind turbines, stating that they would interfere with the scenic views.
Wind investment has made it possible for school districts in the area to sell bonds to raise funds for education. There is an eight million dollar bond issue to build new facilities for the Highland Independent School district in Roscoe Texas for the district's 220 students. According to the superintendent of the school district they would not have considered this measure were it not for the revenue the wind farms bring to the economy.
Sweetwater Texas is the center of the wind farm expansion and officials there say there are no empty hotels, restaurants are full and there are no empty houses. People who had plans to leave the area are now staying. Sweetwater is the home of Texas's famous rattlesnake roundup and the attraction of the wind farms rival this event.
A wind farm scheduled to be completed next year in Roscoe Texas will become the world's largest. Former residents who had since moved away are considering returning to the area as it is now an attractive option for retirement. The tourist trade will provide plenty of activity as people come into the area to witness these wind farms.
This is another example of the opportunity for growth that converting to renewable energy will provide. This rural area of Texas will now provide power for larger cities like Dallas and Fort Worth which are in dire need of new power sources. This in turn will not only create revenue, it will provide jobs for thousands of people. These 'green collar' jobs will give way to 'green collar' careers as time passes.
The power generated by the wind turbines will be emission free. There is no equal in the world of fossil fuels. This is a win-win scenario, there is no downside. The citizens benefit from an improved standard of living and their power needs are met painlessly. Our lawmakers in Washington are currently debating this option along with others. It would seem that all one need do would be to look at projects like these wind farms or the solar installations successfully providing power in various places around the world. This is change whose time has come.