Over the past year, I’ve become interested in the Energy Transition and what it means for the future of the city of Houston. As I’ve learned more, I’ve decided to put together a long-term photography project tracking Houston’s and Texas’s roles in the transition.

This was my first real stop. I was in Lubbock visiting my family, so I did a little walkabout 30 min outside of town. The pump jack is iconic and has been part of the West Texas landscape for over 100 years. I love the angular, rugged appearance, with all the textures and sun-muted colors. But Texas is also the nation’s leader in wind energy production, smooth and futuristic with glowing whites that beautifully reflect the morning sun. There’s no better place to see the juxtaposition of Oil & Wind than the stretch of highway between Abilene and Lubbock.

If you’ve ever been close to one of these wind turbines, or seen the blades rolling down the highway on 200ft trailers, you’ll know they’re awe-inspiring. Standing at the base as the blades swing past, they sound like race cars. I had to take a minute to relax, after convincing myself (with no small effort) they weren’t going to squash me.