Texas Plans Biggest Offshore Wind Farm in U.S. History

The Texas General Land Office announced its second major offshore wind-farm lease within a year.

August TxDOT Letting Dates

The Texas Department of Transportation has scheduled its next highway letting for August 8 nd 9. A total of 128 projects are approved to be let with an estimated total of $706,689,585.

A TxDOT report said projects may be added, advanced or delayed as deemed necessary.

AGC Position on Border Security, Immigration Reform

The Associated General Contractors of America recently expressed support for increased border security that would create better control over the nation's borders and a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that would include a new guest worker program and a viable way to address the undocumented.

"The first step to enacting effective immigration reform legislation is enforcing our borders, but that can't be the final step," said AGC CEO Stephen E. Sandherr. "Congress needs to produce legislation that also provides a new guest worker program and earned legalization."

An AGC statement said that any legislation should provide for an effective new guest worker program that would allow U.S. construction companies to recruit immigrant workers when U.S. workers are not available to fill their needs.

The AGC recommended the following be included in a new visa program: A visa that should be valid for a long enough time frame to ensure that the training investment put forth by an employer is not lost; the visa should be renewable and there should be a way to sponsor employees for permanent residency while under the new visa process; if there is a cap, it should be flexible and based on the needs of the marketplace; individuals using the new visa should have to stay with the sponsoring employer for a certain amount of time (unless abuse of the employee is found) in order to actually address the needs of the employer; all labor and employment laws should apply.

AGC also supports a path to earned legalization that would include paying fines, learning English, staying employed, paying taxes and completing criminal background checks before applying for a potential green card.

Padre Island Project to Provide Clean Energy

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."

TXU Plans $10 Billion Expansion

Gov. Rick Perry recently praised TXU Energy for announcing a $10 billion investment to build 13 new power generation facilities, promote lower energy prices and reduce emissions.

"The benefits of TXU's investment will be both immediate and lasting," Perry said. "In the short term, the expansion will put 40,000 Texans to work during construction of the new facilities, while also creating 21,000 new permanent jobs across the state."

The TXU expansion includes 11 new plants and two previously announced projects.

Perry said the expansion will trigger growth in the state's mining industry because the new generators will increase demand for lignite, which Texas reserves can supply for an estimated 200-plus years. "More importantly, it will help reduce our dependence on foreign energy, and breaking America's foreign energy addiction is essential for a strong and stable economy in the long run," he said.

Perry said the company's expansion is welcome because it will offer consumers lower prices and new options that will allow families to conserve energy and money.

The new TXU plants will be 80 percent cleaner than the national average, and TXU will voluntarily reduce its total emissions by 20 percent. The company says it will invest $2 billion in clean-power technology.