Notrees, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Notrees, Texas
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 Notrees, Texas
Location in Texas
Notrees, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Ector |
| Region | West Texas |
| Post office established | 1946 |
| Elevation | 3,333 ft (1,016 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 23 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| Area code | 432 |
| Website | Handbook of Texas: Notrees, Texas |
Notrees is a small, unincorporated community in west-central Ector County, Texas, United States. An unincorporated community means it doesn't have its own city government. It is located about 20 miles northwest of Odessa, along State Highway 302. Notrees is considered part of the larger Odessa metropolitan area.
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History of Notrees
Notrees began to grow in the 1940s. This happened after large oil fields, like the TXL Field, were discovered nearby. The area was known by other names, such as Caprock and Strawberry, before it became Notrees.
How Notrees Got Its Name
A local business owner named Charles E. Brown asked for a post office to be built in the community. He chose the name "Notrees" because it described the area well. People say there was only one native tree in the community. Sadly, this tree was destroyed when a Shell Oil Company gas plant was built. The post office was officially established in 1946.
Growth and Decline
Notrees was very active and grew a lot during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1966, about 338 people lived there. Many oil companies had camps in the area, which provided homes for their workers and their families. There were also a few local businesses.
However, Notrees started to get smaller by the 1980s. Oil companies began to close their camps. This meant workers and their families had to find housing elsewhere. Also, roads and transportation improved. This made it easier for people to live in bigger cities like Odessa and simply drive to work in Notrees. Today, the community has a small population of about 23 people, but it still supports four businesses.
Notrees Wind Farm
Notrees is home to a large wind farm that produces 153 megawatts (MW) of electricity. This wind farm is connected to one of the biggest grid energy storage systems in the world. This system helps keep the electrical grid stable by managing its frequency response.
Battery Storage System
From 2012 to 2016, the system used lead-acid batteries. These batteries could provide 36 MW of power for 40 minutes. In 2017, these batteries were replaced with newer lithium-ion batteries. While the Notrees system is impressive, even larger battery storage systems have been built in other places since then.
