Houston October 2013 Luncheon

"The Evolution of Renewable Energy in Texas"

Texas is the number one wind-power state, a development usually credited to the 1999 renewable energy mandate signed by George W. Bush. But long before that, the groundwork for wind was laid by a curious cast of dreamers, inventors, politicos, and even oilmen. They braved blade-flinging and lightning-prone turbines, rock-bottom 1980s oil prices and, most recently, a shale-gas revolution. The evolution of wind power in Texas holds lessons for the future of solar and other energy forms — and shows why reporting on Texas is so much fun.

Kate Galbraith is an energy and environmental journalist and co-author of The Great Texas Wind Rush (University of Texas Press, 2013). She has covered energy and environmental issues for the Texas Tribune and the New York Times, and she spent several years as an Economist correspondent in Texas and London. She writes a column on green issues each month for the International Herald Tribune and reviews books for the Economist.