Located near Arlington, Ore., the project consists of 300-plus wind turbines staggered over 30 square miles in the eastern part of the state. Construction of the Shepherds Flat wind farm began in 2009, and despite controversy over funding and a delay by the Air Force, progressed fairly quickly for a project of such size. The installation has a 20-year power purchase agreements with Southern California Edison, and was one of the first to use the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program.

Besides producing an estimated 2 billion kWh each year, Shepherds Flat is expected to have an annual economic impact of $37 million for the state. Sustainable Business Oregon reports that New York-based Caithness Energy employed more than 400 people to develop and will employ another 45 full-time workers.

In 2007, the state legislature created a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that requires the largest utilities in Oregon to provide 25 percent of their retail sales of electricity from newer, clean, renewable sources of energy by 2025. In addition to wind and solar energy, a recent survey shows that Oregonians strongly favor the development of tidal power resources as well. Ocean Power Technologies plans to deploy at 150-kilowatt “PowerBuoy” off the coast near Reedsport.

Photo credit: Loco Steve/Flickr

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Taking to Twitter of all places, Trump proclaimed his displeasure with turbines located in the California desert. “Ugly wind turbines have destroyed the entrance to Palm Springs, CA,” he tweeted. “These monstrosities are ruining landscapes all over the globe–expensive & bad electric.” In an interview with The Desert Sun, Trump took his feelings one step further, calling the area a “sad person’s version of Disneyland” which one may imagine was a bit of an insult to some Coachella Valley residents who don’t see the turbines the same way.

“Tell him that only HE can afford the huge power bills we would have without them,” wrote David Ross on Facebook. “There are many uglier things that could be there.” The Palm Springs area has plenty of wind and sun to spare and is taking full advantage of both of them to provide for the energy it needs.

As drivers approach the Palm Springs desert from Los Angeles, they are greeted with acre after acre of several different generations of wind turbine technology. It’s a little like a working museum of the history of the industry, with different kinds of blades and tower construction dotting the landscape.

I’ve driven by the fields of wind turbines in and around Palm Springs dozens of times and each time I am amazed at how beautiful a sight they are. I’ll take turbines generating clean energy over water and land-hogging golf courses – or really bad hair cuts – any day of the week.

[via The Desert Sun]

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In a study published in the journal Wind Energy (PDF), the authors detailed how their five years of modeling studies determined that by placing 144,000 offshore wind turbines – each 270 feet high and each capable of generating 5 megawatts of power – up and down the coast from Maine to Florida we could provide enough electricity for the entire region.

While looking for the best places to capture and utilize wind energy, the researchers looked for regions with a low hurricane risk, a water depth of less than 100 feet, and areas without any conflicting uses such as shipping lanes or bird migration paths. The offshore area from Virginia to Maine was found to have “the most exceptional overall resource” due to wind patterns and a significantly less chance of devastating hurricane activity in the future. For the area south of Virginia down to Florida, the report stated that quite a large area could be available for offshore wind if the concept of floating turbines were developed into more feasible units from their current prototype-like state.

“People mistakenly think that wind energy is not useful because output from most land-based turbines peaks in the late evening/early morning, when electricity demand is low,” said Mike Dvorak, principle author of the study. “The real value of offshore wind energy is that it often peaks when we need the most electricity — during the middle of the day.”

With the $2.5 billion Cape Wind Project starting to take shape off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and lawsuits opposing it being dropped, we could soon see much more offshore wind development in the near future. Currently the U.S. gets just 4 percent of its electricity from wind power. Would residents up and down the East Coast trade off the distant sight of 144,000 turbines off the coast of their beach to know all their power is coming from a clean and renewable source? Would you?

[via NBC News]

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Wild Horse Wind Farm, located in Kittitas County, Washington, generates electricity for 80,000 homes via 149 wind turbines placed high across 10,000 privately-owned acres of Whiskey Dick Mountain ridge tops.

Each standing 351 feet tall with a rotor diameter of 264 feet, the 1.8-megawatt Vestas V80 turbines are capable of producing electricity with wind speeds of just 9 mph – which is easily reached most of the year – but generate peak power when winds are at 31 mph. The 273-megawatt facility broke ground in 2005 with plans for 125 turbines and was expanded upon in 2009 with additional 24. The area is also home to the Pacific Northwest’s largest solar-power array, capable of generating 500 kilowatts of electricity.

Visitors to the wind farm have access to miles of paved, gravel, and dirt trails winding their way around and up to Whiskey Dick peak, as well as the Renewable Energy Center at Wild Horse offering educational displays and tours. Most people don’t get a chance to see wind turbines up close like this and it must be magnificent to stand directly underneath one as its blades fly by. By allowing hikers, bikers, hunters and horseback riders to get up close and personal to the farm, Puget Sound Energy is encouraging interest in the technology which in turn could result in further support for more wind turbines when we need them.

Take a tour inside one of Puget Sound Energy’s wind turbines:

[via Seattle Times]

Image Credit: aa7ae/Flickr

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The turbines in question are currently located in the Kevin Rim, an area known to have up to 60 raptor nests and nearly a dozen different raptor species. Montana Audubon contacted the developer with concerns about the safety of the birds, and the developer acquiesced.

The two groups also signed a pledge stating that they will continue to work together to mitigate the effects of the wind farm on wildlife.

“Rim Rock and Montana Audubon agree to maintain open communications related to the project and wildlife impacts,” the memo states. “In addition, in order to maintain good faith between the parties, Rim Rock and Montana Audubon also agree to make reasonable efforts to confer with each other before issuing any public statements about the other party in the interest of ensuring accuracy of information.”

Featured photo credit: Shutterstock.com

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The Cape Wind project will have 130 wind turbines, and is expected to produce 174 megawatts of electricity on average — almost 75 percent of the electricity demand for Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. It’s expected to substantially lower electricity bills in the area. The wind farm will also create up to 1,000 jobs during construction, and 150 permanent jobs.

Though it will be more than six miles from the nearest beach on Cape Cod, and the wind turbines will appear just one half-inch above the horizon from that point, residents have been concerned about the appearance of the project. Another lawsuit from local fishermen, concerned about the wind farm’s impacts to navigation, was eventually dropped.

Residents have also argued that the wind farm will harm wildlife, particularly birds. Now, though, wildlife experts like Mass Audubon have given their support to the project. Mass Audubon reports that after nine years of data analysis, they have concluded the project will not pose an ecologically significant threat to birds and other wildlife in the area.

Critics also argued that the 440-foot wind turbines would pose a danger to pilots. The FAA ruled that the project can go forward, but is requiring lights on the towers and the use of specific paint colors.

The next step for the project will be final financing. Once underway, the wind farm will take two years to complete.

Main photo credit: Laura Padgett/Flickr

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Initially, the pilot project featuring Ocean Renewable Power Company’s (ORPC) TidGen Power System will generate enough electricity to power about 100 homes. Once expanded to full capacity, it will generate 3 MW of power, enough for more than 1,000 local homes and businesses. A 20 year purchase agreement was approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission in order for ORPC to sell the generated electricity to three Maine utility companies.

The project was publicly recognized Tuesday by Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “Developing America’s vast renewable energy resources is an important part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to create jobs and strengthen U.S. global competitiveness,” said Chu. “The Eastport tidal energy project represents a critical investment to ensure America leads in this fast-growing global industry, helping to create new manufacturing, construction, and operation jobs across the country while diversifying our energy portfolio and reducing pollution.”

Tidal energy is generated by harnessing the kinetic energy of moving tides in order to generate electricity. Tidal energy, while currently more expensive than solar or wind, is much more predictable than both as tides never stop moving and thus don’t stop generating energy. Tidal energy systems are similar to wind turbines but are installed underwater, where they can capture the movement and flow of the currents and tides.

Off the coast of of Eastport, Maine where ORPC is installing its system, nearly 100 billion tons of water moves through Cobscook Bay during tidal shifts, carrying with it the force of 8,000 locomotives. Because it generates that much power, it’s no surprise that the Energy Department believes that there is about 1,420 TWh hours of annual generation potential from tidal and wave projects – enough to provide for 15 percent of our nation’s energy needs.

[via Equities]

Image Credit: ORPC

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Combined with plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 40% by 2020 and phase out fossil fuels altogether by 2050, Denmark is leading the way when it comes to the mass adoption of renewable energy sources. And unlike in some countries, the government has the support of the citizens to spend the money to achieve those goals. In 2009, an amazing 91 percent of Danes surveyed said wind power use should be expanded and 96 percent stated that the government should help support the industry.

“It is widely agreed that wind power will become the backbone of Denmark’s future electricity supply,” said Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association

Try getting a consensus and those percentages for government support of anything here in the U.S.

Since 1981, Denmark has made wind an important part of its energy portfolio and thus managed to grow its economy while simultaneously limiting emissions – something many other nations would be hard-pressed to achieve.

“Denmark’s economy has grown 78% while our energy consumption has remained nearly level and our CO2 emissions have fallen. We have achieved this because we have chosen to use our resources in new and intelligent ways. One of these has been wind power,” said Connie Hedegaard, the European Commissioner for Climate Action.

The country has a total installed generation capacity of 3,871 MW, with nearly 1,000 MW of that located offshore at 13 wind farms. It was the pioneer for the offshore technology, bringing the first one one in the world online in 1991. Denmark is currently home to the world’s largest wind turbine industry, exporting some $6.9 billion worth of turbines and supplies to other nations.

[via REVE]

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Named the Glötesvålen Wind Farm because it is sited over 3,300 feet up on Glötesvålen mountain, construction will begin this summer and is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2014. Sweden-based O2 Vind AB is the developer and manager of the wind farm and has ordered the 30 turbines needed for the project from Danish manufacturer Vestas. At full capacity it will generate 90-MW of electricity each year, supplying enough power for the needs of 48,000 average-sized homes, and will reduce the company’s CO2 emissions by 176,000 tonnes.

“At IKEA, we want to take a leading role in the transition to a low-carbon society by only using 100 percent renewable energy in our global operations. By only using wind power in Sweden, it is an exciting and important step toward reaching that goal. We will not only be self-sufficient in electricity in Sweden, generating enough to supply all IKEA buildings and operations in the country, but it will give us opportunities to supply IKEA stores in other countries with wind power,” said Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Group.

The IKEA Group currently has nine wind turbines already in operation in Sweden and a total of 96 in operation or under construction around the globe. In addition to providing 100 percent of its energy needs in Sweden, once the Glötesvålen Wind Farm project is complete the company expects that its renewable energy investments will be providing between 70-80 percent of its total global needs.

Let’s hope IKEA’s goal of being powered by 100 percent renewables inspires more global brands to add wind power to their energy portfolios.

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The project was the first of its kind in the UK to receive institutional investment before it was built. It was completed in record-breaking time; the second phase of the 102 turbine-project was installed in just over five months.

Britain currently has more than 1.5 gigawatts of installed offshore wind power, and plans to increase capacity to 18 gigawatts by 2020. The government is aiming to lower the cost of offshore wind, and Dong Energy, the developer of the Walney wind project, has helped reduce costs by making large-scale installation more efficient.

The Walney project won’t be the largest in the world for long — two other UK wind farms under construction are even bigger. The new London Array is nearly twice as big at 630 megawatts, and may later be expanded to become the world’s first 1 gigawatt wind farm.

Main photo credit: Dong Energy

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