Overview
Texas Tech University's Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Law, and Department of Natural Resources Management are hosting a day-long conference on environmental and cultural impacts of wind turbine farms.
West Texas is at the heart of the present and future American wind energy industry as a result of unique natural and cultural assets concerning wind power potential.
At present, nearby Sweetwater, Texas, has perhaps the greatest concentration of wind farm turbine projects in the world. Current proposals of wind farms by T. Boone Pickens in nearby Amarillo are expected to dwarf this current density of wind turbine projects. Such amalgamation of wind energy projects is not without its critics and poses significant scenic, environmental, political, and legal challenges. This extensive and rapid expansion demands comprehensive review of the industry in order to facilitate and yield responsible development and public acceptance of this emerging technology. This conference will focus on a wide diversity of issues on this subject with an emphasis on applied and practical solutions for promoting this sustainable energy technology.