Texas produces more wind energy than any other state in the nation. According to the Texas Comptroller website, in 2022, Texas wind generated 40,556 megawatts (MW), accounting for more than 26 percent of all U.S. wind-sourced electricity.

The turbines, which are equipped with blinking red lights to alert pilots and military operations of their presence, also contribute significantly to light pollution along the Gulf Coast and West Texas.

Blinking Red Light

Listed above, is a graphic that illustrates the Bortle ratings for various state parks in Texas. The lower the number, the less light pollution. The graphic illustrates that while the areas of the Gulf Coast and West Texas don’t experience as much light pollution as metropolitan areas, there is still considerable light pollution in the two leading areas of wind production in the state.

HB 560

House Bill 560, filed by Rep. Jared Patterson R-Frisco, aims to require wind turbine manufacturers to apply new light mitigation technology to their wind turbines for environmental purposes. 

While Patterson represents constituents in the Denton area where there isn’t much wind energy production, his relationship with former Rep. Glenn Rogers and Patterson's background in the energy sector prompted him to continue the efforts to ensure light mitigation technology is present on Turbines. 

“Outside of working in the Texas House of Representatives, Rep. Patterson works in the energy sector. He is well-versed on these issues and he was a joint-author on Rep. Rogers’s H.B. 2549 last year which didn’t pass in the senate, so he felt compelled to give it another go,” said Jackson Woomer, the legislative director in Patterson’s office. 

Woomer said that the new light mitigation system will work as a more efficient way of detecting airplane presence instead of having constant blinking lights.

"The systems are called Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems (ADLS). Basically, the lights remain off, until a sensor on the wind turbine picks up on an aircraft within a three-mile radius."

Woomer said that while generators will bear the costs of the new technology, he said that the costs of the new technology is a relatively small price when compared to other costs of the market. 

“The bill dictates that the generators would bear the cost. However, the Texas energy market is a free-market system so there is a rate that varies based on how much energy is needed and produced that day. The PUC puts out by-orders to the generators who then bid into the market as they see fit. Producers could put in place systems to pass the costs down, but that would make it harder for them to bid into the market.” 

Woomer continued: “while the producers will most likely take on the cost assuming they don’t pass down them down, comparing how much it costs to build a wind turbine to the changing of lights is a large margin. Each turbine costs millions to make, while changing the lights only costs a couple thousand. People could think about the sirens on a police car. The cost of a new car is far more than replacing a siren.”

Woomer emphasized the importance of this bill because of Texas’ capacity to produce wind energy. 

“Other states like Kansas and North Dakota have passed light mitigation bills, but since Texas produces more wind energy than those states combined and is the dominant force in the wind energy sector, this is a landmark bill.”

Woomer said that Patterson’s team feels confident that this bill could become law if the right pieces fall into place. 

“If the bill makes it through the senate side, we are confident in the bill passing. While you don’t see co-sponsors on the bill until it has gone through committee, this bill is a bi-partisan bill, just like H.B. 2549, which had 65 co-sponsors. We expect the same amount for H.B. 560. The difference between Rep. Rogers’ bill and H.B. 560 is that there is a companion bill.”

Moving Forward

H.B. 560 is currently in committee.