According to the American Wind Energy Association's Second-Quarter Market Report, Texas' cumulative wind power capacity total now stands at 2,370 megawatts—enough to power more than 600,000 average American homes—followed by California's 2,323 megawatts. Texas edged ahead of California by adding a total of 375 MW, about half of the total amount installed in the country since the beginning of the year. California had previously led the nation unterruptedly for nearly 25 years, at one time hosting more than 80 percent of the wind capacity in the entire world.

Texas had slowly been creeping up on California these last few years, so taking the top spot was inevitable, wind energy consultants say. Mike Sloan, president of Austin-based Virtus Energy Research Associates, estimates about $2 billion will be invested in wind energy development statewide this year and about $4.5 billion nationwide. "Wind energy is a prudent hedging vehicle," Sloan said. "So many policy leaders around the country see the importance of energy diversity and how homegrown renewables make a lot of sense."

Next, Texas wants to be home to more than just the place with the most wind energy generation capacity, said Jerry Patterson, the state's land commissioner. Patterson said he believes Texas can be an industry hub, just as it has been for oil and natural gas. "We want this to be the place where the industry grows, where companies manufacture and assemble wind turbines," he said. "We have the skilled workforce and the locations to accomplish this."

TXU Energy announced this week that they are committing $300,000 to Dallas and Tarrant County communities to assist them in preparing for special heat-emergency programs. An extension of TXU Energy's "Check on Your Neighbor" program that assists customers during the summer's high temperatures, the money will go toward providing services such as cooling-off shelters in recreation centers, overnight shelters, an emergency hotline, transportation to shelters and provision of fresh water and ice.

"We are in the midst of a typical hot Texas summer, and our friends and neighbors will rely upon us for help during these 100-plus degree days," said Zach Thompson of Dallas County Health and Human Services. "It's through programs like TXU's Energy Aid and donations from companies like TXU Energy that we are able to provide these needed services."

TXU Energy made a commitment in 2004 to provide $15 million over three years to assist families who have difficulties paying their electric bills. Additionally, TXU Energy made another commitment to provide up to $25 million in discounts for low-income customers during all of 2006. In 2005, TXU Energy donated more than $2.9 million in TXU Energy Aid funds to selected service agency partners in Dallas County and Tarrant County.

As Texas continues to set records for electricity usage, the state's Public Utility Commission launched PowerfulAdvice, a new Web-based color-coded warning system to alert Texans about the current condition of the state's power grid.

The system uses three color codes green, yellow and red to signify the state's increasing demand for electricity and the likelihood of an electricity emergency.

Green Days
No electricity emergency is likely, but normal conservation measures are recommended.

Yellow Days
Extra conservation measures are urged because of a chance that electricity shortages may occur during the peak usage hours.

Red Days
Conservation is critical because there is a higher probability of involuntary outages during the peak hours of 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to prevent uncontrolled rolling blackouts.

PUC is already calling for more conservation this week by declaring a yellow conservation alert in anticipation of more record electricity demand.

"PowerfulAdvice is a helpful tool for Texas electric customers as we face the hot summer," says PUC Chairman Paul Hudson. "Customers can get money-saving advice and help ensure a sufficient electricity supply for our growing state."

Click here to learn more about PowerfulAdvice and PUC's tips for conserving energy.

The recent heat wave has pushed state electricity demand to record levels, but officials said Texans shouldn't fear a repeat of April's rolling blackouts.

"We are prepared for hot temperatures and high demand in the summer," said Dottie Roark, spokeswoman for Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees the power grid for most of Texas. "We don't expect any problems."

Electrical demand is at all-time highs, with last Monday's peak-hour electrical demand breaking all records for July. Then Tuesday and Wednesday each broke the previous day's record. Temperatures again surpassed 100 degrees Thursday across much of Texas, but Wednesday's record was not broken.

The blazing heat is expected to effect the state for at least the next 10 days, prompting the Texas Department of State Health Services to warn people to cool their homes and seek air-conditioned public places.

Are air ducts ruining your summer cool? Recent studies indicate that up to 30 percent of the conditioned air in an average central air conditioning system escapes from the ducts. Your energy dollars literally go out the window when cooled air escapes from supply ducts or hot air from the attic leaks into return ducts.

The best way to keep your central air conditioning efficient is to make sure ducts are airtight. Leaky ducts may be difficult to find without experience and proper testing equipment, so it is a good idea to invest in hiring a professional service technician to check your ducts and correct leaks. Check with your energy service provider, as many companies offer low-cost tests and rebates on repairs.

There are steps you can take to make sure your ducts are working properly. Since obstructions can impair the efficiency of a duct system, make sure you do not obstruct the flow of air from supply or return registers with furniture, drapes, or interior doors. Dirty filters and clogged evaporator coils can also be major obstructions to air flow.