Nov. 21, 2008 - Wal-Mart has inked a deal with Duke Energy to purchase enough wind energy to power about 50 of its locations in Texas. Beginning in April 2009, Wal-Mart will purchase electricity directly from Duke's Notrees Windpower Project, located in Texas's Ector and Winkler counties. The deal marks Wal-Mart's first major purchase of wind energy in the U.S., and one of the first sales of power directly from a specific wind project to a major retailer, according to Duke Energy.

The wind energy market seems to be seeing a lot of action in Texas. AMD and AT&T have both signed deals with Austin Energy to participate in the utility's Clean Choice program, in which a percentage of electricity purchased will derive from wind power.