Texas continues to be the leader in wind energy with a quarter (25%) of the installed wind turbines within the U.S. and its territories. For perspective, Texas’ overall wind turbine count is nearly three times the next highest state of Iowa (9%) and more than all but four countries. Wind energy makes up 29% of Texas’ generating capacity and 25% of the energy used in 2022, both second to the state’s leader natural gas.
Wind energy permits make up 84% of the top 1% of the state’s longest oversize/overweight (OS/OW) permits. Understanding wind energy vehicle characteristics and routing is critical to reducing congestion, improving truck parking options, and reducing damage to Texas’ roadway infrastructure. Overall, the sector generated 120,901 OS/OW permit records between 2018 and 2022. This combined with state OS/OW route data, the U.S. Wind Turbine Database, and interviews with subject matter experts provided a strong basis to understand and visualize the information related to the sector.
Sushant Sharma Ph.D., PMP
Research Scientist
Texas A&M University/Texas A&M Transportation Institute