LCRA began providing electricity for Central Texans in the 1930s, using the renewable water resource of the Colorado River to produce hydroelectric power. Eventually, LCRA created a series of six dams to make that power available to many rural Texans who did not have access to the benefits of urban electric systems.

Over the past 70 years, LCRA has continued its leadership in renewable energy.

LCRA in 1995 invested in the first wind power project in Texas — the Texas Wind Power Project in Culberson County. LCRA now purchases 116 MW from three West Texas wind farms, including Delaware Mountain Wind Farm in Culberson County and Indian Mesa Wind Energy Center in Pecos County. Of LCRA's total wind purchases, Austin Energy purchases 10 MW and the rest serves 43 Central Texas utilities.

CREZ: Tripling wind power in Texas LCRA has joined other transmission service providers in a proposal to build the infrastructure that will bring more wind power from West Texas to more densely populated areas of the state through Competitive Renewable Energy Zones. More.

Here is a summary of LCRA’s leadership in providing clean, renewable power to the people of Texas:

• LCRA played a critical role in building the state's first commercial wind power plant in 1995.
• LCRA gets about 4 percent of its power from hydroelectric generation units and wind power contracts.
• LCRA purchases a total of 116 megawatts of wind capacity from various wind power providers located in far west Texas. In April 2009, LCRA issued a request for proposals for an additional 200 MW of wind power, which would more than double LCRA's existing capacity for power generated from renewable wind resources.
• LCRA owns and operates units at the six Highland Lakes dams that can generate up to 292 megawatts (MW) of hydroelectricity, enough to power the peak demand of more than 60,000 Texas homes.
• LCRA played a key role in supporting the start up of the first large-scale commercial biogas facility in Texas. While LCRA no longer purchases fuel from the facility, LCRA did purchase all of the renewable natural gas generated at the facility during its first years of operation for use in its natural gas-fueled plants.
• LCRA’s wastewater treatment plant in Lometa soon will run on solar power. A grant from the Office of Rural Community Affairs and in-kind services from LCRA will enable 50 kilowatts of solar panels to be installed at the plant. The solar installation – one of the largest in Texas – could reduce the plant’s annual energy bill by as much as 50 percent.
• LCRA has a 21.6-kilowatt solar energy system on its Environmental Laboratory in Austin, one of the largest projects in Austin Energy’s Solar Rebate Program.
• LCRA offers a renewable pricing product, Choose to Renew™, to its wholesale power customers, allowing them to purchase power generated from West Texas wind resources.
• LCRA in 2009 installed a residential-sized wind turbine at its McKinney Roughs Nature Park near Bastrop as part of a demonstration project to educate park visitors about renewable energy.

LCRA continues to evaluate additional renewable energy options that compliment its existing generation portfolio.

Providing clean power
In addition to operating its electric generating facilities efficiently and in an environmentally responsible manner, LCRA has committed millions of dollars to further improve emissions of its power plants.

All LCRA's fossil fuel-fired electric generation facilities maintain better air quality standards than required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Learn more about LCRA’s commitment to providing clean power.