The New Jed Clampett

Old USA 1965 - 1971 TV comedy show The Beverley Hillbillies

Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed
Poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed
Then one day he was shooting for some food,
And up through the ground come a bubbling crude
(Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea)

Today in Texas the bubbling crude no longer seems to be the cash crop that made ole Jed Clampett his fortune. The new Jed Clampett is making his fortune in harnessing wind energy.

Continuing along the highway towards Colorado, out in the wind swept plains of the Texas panhandle are wind farms. Massive turbines that look like the Mercedes Benz emblem are turning slowly - generating virtually free electricity. There are also a number of wind farms located along the I-10 corridor just East of Fort Stockton Texas. Every time I drive out that way going to the Big Bend region, it looks like the "coat hangers" or "rabbits" have multiplied. These wind farms and associated turbines are springing up everywhere there is reliable wind and there are now even low cost models for home and business use. Even driving the roads, you will encounter convoys of massive trucks hauling the turbines and blades. There are even some Synchro32 metalcasters that are heavily involved in the manufacture of parts for the industry.

Of course, harnessing the wind is really nothing new. For a very long time, Texas ranchers have harnessed the power of the wind to turn windmills to pump water from beneath the ground to water the crops and livestock.

Here are some pictures from around the Texas Panhandle region. See you on down the road...