Green Choice: The Sources

Wind

Whence cometh wind power? Wind energy is produced by wind turbines, which resemble windmills, which in turn generate electricity by harnessing the wind's kinetic energy with specially designed blades. Austin Energy will buy its wind power from a wind farm in Upton County in West Texas. The power generated by the wind turbines will be sent via transmission lines to Austin Energy.

Solar

Solar panels convert sunlight into an electrical current using thin layers of semiconductor material -- usually silicon. You may have seen the solar array -- a string of solar panels wired together -- housed at Bergstrom Airport, outside the aviation department building. There are 28 such solar panel installations in Austin, including the Decker Power Plant, the Dillo Park and Ride near downtown, and the Howson Branch Library. The electricity produced by the array is channeled into a home or building's electrical system, or transformer, to become part of the city's electric grid.

Biogas

Believe it our not, landfills are good for things other than our garbage. Biogas projects generate electricity by collecting methane gas from landfills. When a landfill is full, it is covered, and the garbage inside begins its decomposition process, which produces methane gas. This gas is captured and used to generate electricity. As unappealing as this may sound, energy experts say methane gas represents an energy source that burns much cleaner than fossil fuels. The gas collection process, they say, actually creates less air pollution than would occur if the gas were allowed to escape into the atmosphere. Where is Austin going to get this methane gas? Why, right here in our own back yard -- from Austin's city-owned landfill, as well as landfills in San Antonio, Houston, Galveston, and Hutchins, outside Dallas.