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Texas completes $1 billion wind energy complex

Spanning over 100,000 acres and offering a 781.5-megawatt capacity, it also gives Texas Gov. Rick Perry a chance to argue against cap-and-trade legislation.

Candace Lombardi
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET.
Candace Lombardi
2 min read
Wind turbines collectively offering a 781.5-megawatt capacity now dot the landscape around Roscoe, Texas. E.ON Climate & Renewables

One of the world's largest wind farms is now operational in the area surrounding Roscoe, Texas, E.ON Climate & Renewables (EC&R) announced Thursday.

The series of 627 wind turbines providing a 781.5-megawatt capacity covers about 100,000 acres and four Texas counties. But it's not an isolated wind farm per se, nor a uniform series of turbines.

The wind complex is a collaborative wind project with the community that included negotiations with over 300 landowners, and a mix of different turbines made by several companies including Mitsubishi, General Electric, and Siemens.

"Texas continues to lead the nation in the development of renewable energy and has more wind generation capacity than any other state and all but four countries," Texas Gov. Rick Perry said in a statement.

The wind turbines of the Roscoe, Texas, wind complex span 100,000 acres. E.ON Climate & Renewables

The project took approximately 500 workers, and an investment of over $1 billion dollars to be implemented, according to EC&R.

But the investment should pay off in the end. At 781.5 megawatts, the Roscoe wind complex has the capacity to power 230,000 residences, according to EC&R.

The company said in a statement that the Texas project is "the completion of the world's largest wind farm near Roscoe, Texas (sic)" and that once completed, its London offshore wind project will be "the largest offshore wind farm in the world."

The announcement follows Perry's Wednesday meeting with Texas business leaders to express his views against proposed federal carbon cap-and-trade legislation, which are in opposition to those who feel the bill would encourage green technology innovation.

"Texas has shown you don't need federal mandates to improve the environment or foster the next generation of energy technology," Perry said in a statement.

"Texans should be wary about a cap-and-trade bill that would not only impose the largest tax hike in the history of the United States, but also inject the federal government further into every Texas home, farm and workplace," he said.