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Power
Padre Island Project to Provide Clean Energy
(texas.construction.com,
July 2006 issue)
Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the
Texas General Land Office, recently announced details of the
state's second offshore wind farm - a development off the
coast of Padre Island National Seashore.
The multi-million dollar agreement -
the second such lease in less than a year - grants Superior
Renewable Energy of Houston rights to 39,900 acres of submerged
land in the Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of Padre Island.
The company plans to build a wind farm that will generate
up to 500 megawatts of power.
"When completed, this will be the
biggest offshore wind farm in U.S. history," Patterson
said.
The lease provides Superior a four-year
period for research, after which the company will begin construction
of enough turbines to produce a minimum of 250 MW of electricity.
Superior has plans to expand the offshore wind farm to 500
MW or more.
Under the lease, Superior is allowed
to assess Texas coastal winds, develop a production plan and
construct the wind farm - with its own money.
The General Land Office expects Texas
schools to earn anywhere from $34 million to more than $100
million from the lease.
"Texas has historically been dependent
upon oil and gas." Patterson said. "But oil and
gas won't last forever. It's vital that the Land Office find
new ways to earn money for the Permanent School Fund."
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