High gas prices have fueled Texas legislators and utility commissioners to push for alternative forms of energy.

Texas has historically been a leader in natural gas and oil production, and in the last four years has emerged as the nation's top producer of wind energy, surpassing California in 2006 for the No. 1 spot.

State leaders on Monday presented plans to diversify Texas' primary energy source, crowned Texas' achievements in renewable energy and presented a poll showing that a high percentage of the public is willing to pay for the costs of wind energy transmission.

The conference was held in light of the Public Utility Commission's pending approval of a plan that would connect wind power generated at wind farms in the Panhandle and West Texas to the state's primary electric grid. The decision will be made within the next two weeks, said commission spokesman Ray Sullivan.

Sullivan said the commission will choose one of five different ways to tie wind power into the main grid as well as additional plans on how to keep Texas the leading source of wind power in the nation.

Republican Rep. Phil King, of Weatherford, which is just west of Fort Worth, said at the conference that the use of coal and traditional means of energy will not be replaced solely by wind power. He said the low amount of oil and natural gas left in the ground directly contributes to the rise in the cost of gas, which has increased 500 percent since 2002.

"We rely on gas heavily, and the price of gas today shows that we are running out of natural resources," King said. "Adding more wind power sources is not the answer, but it is a big part."

Texas Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo said Texas creates enough wind energy to power 1 million homes.

"It is critical for Texas to have a strong, diversified energy portfolio including natural gas, clean coal, nuclear, wind and other renewable sources," Carrillo said.

A July poll conducted by Austin-based national research organization Baselice & Associates showed that Texans rate energy prices as a top priority for improved legislation and that 55 percent of Texans favor wind to other forms of alternative energy for electricity production.

Environment Texas, a nonprofit activist group, started a campaign in the last year to encourage Texas lawmakers to seek alternative energy sources.

Alejandro Savransky, spokesman for Environment Texas, said the group's campaign focuses on solar energy but that their goal is to have alternative energy sources and clean air.

"Any increase in costs because of the change should be worth it for Texans," Savransky said. "As long as they are getting clean sources of energy."