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The Largest Wind Farms in Texas
Discover how Texas dominates U.S. wind power with massive utility-scale projects.
5 minute read • Last update July 2025
Top 8 wind farms in Texas by capacity
1. Great Prairie Wind Farm – 1,027 MW
Location: Hansford County
Operator: Likely NextEra Energy Resources or Invenergy
Commissioned: 2022–2025
The Great Prairie Wind Farm is currently the largest in Texas, reaching full operation in late 2024 or early 2025. Located in the Texas Panhandle, the project uses advanced turbine technology to maximize efficiency and performance in a region with ideal wind conditions.
2. Los Vientos Wind Farm – 912 MW
Location: Starr and Willacy counties
Operator: Duke Energy Renewables
Commissioned: 2016
Spanning two South Texas counties, Los Vientos was one of the largest wind projects in the U.S. when it was commissioned. Its consistent performance and size have helped it remain a major contributor to Texas’s renewable energy mix.
3. Roscoe Wind Farm – 781.5 MW
Location: Nolan and Mitchell counties
Operator: RWE (formerly E.ON)
Commissioned: 2009
With 627 turbines, Roscoe was an early example of utility-scale wind at a massive scale. Though built more than a decade ago, it continues to play a critical role thanks to ongoing maintenance and repowering efforts.
4. Javelina Wind Energy Center – ~749 MW
Location: Webb and Duval counties
Operator: NextEra Energy
Commissioned: 2015–2018
Developed in multiple phases, Javelina is part of a clustered wind region in South Texas. Its output supports both local consumption and long-distance power transmission across the ERCOT grid.
5. Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center – 735.5 MW
Location: Taylor and Nolan counties
Operator: NextEra Energy
Commissioned: 2006
Horse Hollow covers over 47,000 acres and was once the largest wind farm in the world. Its sheer size and land footprint make it a landmark project in U.S. wind development.
6. Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm – 662.5 MW
Location: Coke and Sterling counties
Operator: NextEra Energy
Commissioned: 2008
Capricorn Ridge was a major step forward in Texas wind infrastructure. With strong production and reliability, it remains a core part of NextEra’s wind portfolio.
7. Sweetwater Wind Farm – 585.3 MW
Location: Nolan County
Operator: Duke Energy and Leeward Energy
Commissioned: 2007
One of the early commercial-scale wind developments in Texas, Sweetwater played a pivotal role in transforming West Texas into a wind energy powerhouse.
8. South Plains Wind Farm – 500.3 MW
Location: Floyd County
Operator: Ørsted and partners
Commissioned: 2015–2016
Developed in phases, South Plains reflects modern turbine design and is positioned to benefit from upgrades in regional transmission and storage capacity.
Texas leads the nation in wind power generation
According to EIA data, Texas is the undisputed leader in wind power generation in the United States. As of 2025, the state boasts more than 42 gigawatts (GW) of installed wind capacity, more than any other state. This growth has been fueled by favorable land conditions, a deregulated energy market through ERCOT, and early investment in transmission infrastructure like the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ).
This blog highlights the largest wind farms in Texas, offering a closer look at their scale, location, technology, and contribution to the grid.
Explore Texas wind farm locations
Use the map below to view the largest wind farms in Texas and where they’re located:
Wind power in Texas: 2025 market overview
- Total installed wind capacity: ~42 GW
- Number of wind turbines: Over 19,000
- Share of ERCOT electricity: Roughly 30 percent
- Primary regions: West Texas, the Panhandle, South Texas
- Growth factors: CREZ transmission buildout, tax incentives, private capital
Texas has invested heavily in long-range transmission, enabling massive wind development in remote, high-resource regions. This infrastructure continues to support growth, including hybrid wind-plus-storage projects now populating the ERCOT interconnection queue.
Capacity factor and performance metrics
Capacity factor measures how efficiently a wind farm converts wind into electricity over time. In Texas, the average capacity factor ranges between 35 and 42 percent, with the highest performing sites located in West Texas and the Panhandle, where wind conditions are stronger and more consistent.
To put that in context, the U.S. national average for onshore wind is typically around 34 percent, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Offshore wind farms can exceed 45 percent due to steadier marine winds, but they are costlier to build. Texas’ wind farms, especially newer sites like Great Prairie, perform above the national average thanks to taller towers, longer blades, and smart siting.
Repowering older wind farms like Roscoe and Sweetwater is also helping boost output without expanding their footprint. These upgrades increase total energy production while extending the useful life of existing infrastructure.
How many wind turbines are there in Texas?
Texas has over 19,000 wind turbines operating across the state. These turbines are concentrated in regions with strong wind resources and sufficient transmission infrastructure, including West Texas, the Panhandle, and parts of South Texas. The turbine count reflects both the state’s vast land availability and its aggressive approach to grid modernization, particularly through the CREZ initiative. Together, these turbines account for more than 42 gigawatts of installed capacity and roughly 30 percent of the electricity generated within the ERCOT system.
Infrastructure and grid integration
Wind energy at this scale would not be possible without targeted investment in infrastructure. The CREZ transmission initiative, launched in the late 2000s, laid the groundwork by connecting remote windy regions to population centers with high-voltage power lines. This move enabled large-scale wind farms like Horse Hollow and Sweetwater to come online and feed clean energy into the grid.
However, wind energy is not without challenges. In West Texas, wind output often exceeds transmission capacity during peak production hours, creating grid congestion. When this happens, some energy must be curtailed or rerouted, reducing overall efficiency.
To address these issues, developers and grid operators are increasingly investing in battery storage systems. These systems capture surplus wind power and release it when demand is high or when wind output drops. This approach improves grid stability and reduces dependence on fossil fuels during peak times.
Looking ahead, ERCOT is seeing a surge in hybrid project applications that pair wind and storage. These systems are better suited to the intermittent nature of wind and are expected to play a key role in grid balancing and energy reliability across the state.
What’s next for Texas wind?
Repowering and new builds
Texas continues to expand its wind fleet by both upgrading older farms and building new ones. Projects like Forest Creek and Honey Mesquite, led by RWE, are expected to add more than 300 megawatts of capacity by the end of 2025. Repowering legacy sites with modern turbines increases energy output without requiring additional land, making it a cost-effective path forward.
Offshore wind potential
The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has been evaluating lease areas off the Texas coast, including locations near Galveston. Offshore wind could become a critical part of the state’s energy mix by providing reliable power closer to coastal load centers. Though offshore wind is still in early planning phases for Texas, the long-term potential is substantial.
Projected growth in Texas wind energy production
Texas continues to lead the way in wind energy with more than 700 megawatt-scale projects now operating across the state. The Great Prairie Wind Farm has officially claimed the top spot, setting a new benchmark for utility-scale wind production in the U.S. Meanwhile, innovations in turbine design, digital control systems, and repowering strategies are driving measurable gains in efficiency, reliability, and lifespan across the entire Texas wind fleet.
Looking ahead, the next wave of growth will come from both strategic land-based upgrades, such as taller towers and longer blades, and the emergence of offshore wind developments near the Texas Gulf Coast. These projects will enable power delivery closer to population centers while strengthening overall grid resilience. Wind energy is not just a legacy asset for Texas; it is a forward-looking solution that will continue to anchor the state’s transition toward a more diversified, reliable, and low-carbon energy mix.
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