World’s Largest Wind Farm Planned In Oregon
The Portland Business Journal reports that Oregon has just been given the go-ahead by The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council to build a 909 MW wind farm in the north-central part of the state. That’s enough energy to power 200,000 homes.
The Shepherd’s Flat Wind Farm will contain 303 wind turbines and will double the state’s wind-generating capacity. It will boost the local economy by creating 250 to 300 new jobs, and lease payments to landowners will supplement farm incomes.
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However, the farm does face one challenge: Northwest power agencies claim to only be able to handle 1500 more megawatts of wind power on the grid. With new renewable energy projects popping up all over the place, it might be time to start thinking about some serious solutions to this problem.
If all goes according to plan, the Oregonian wind farm—scheduled to be in operation by 2010— will ultimately be overtaken in capacity by T. Boone Pickens’ 4000 MW Texas wind farm, which should be completed by 2014.
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“I don’t see why they would stop using wind power until 100% of the north west’s power was coming from clean, renewable sources. And even then they can start “exporting” it to other regions too…”
Because renewable energy is inconsistent. Wind peaks in the early a.m. (if at all) and solar mid-day and obviously not at night…
I think I am finally figuring out why I am such a skeptic about wind and solar power. I have lived almost all of my life on the US east coast where we do not have vast open spaces and desert climates.
Instead we have extensive forests, densely populated cities, marshes, clouds, rain, cold winters, and still, muggy summers. All of those do not inspire one to think about large wind farms or multi-acre solar arrays. Even rooftop solar is not very inspiring for those of us who purposely plant shade trees to keep our homes cool in the summer or who work in high rise office buildings with roofs that are quite small in relationship to the power consumption inside the building.
Your associated photo and the ones that I have seen cropping up in Pickens commercials have finally gotten through to me - people who live in the western US simply see the world through a different lens.
It’ll be a close one as to whether it will ever be the world’s largest wind farm. The London Array is also due for completion in 2010, will have 341 turbines, and produce 1GW (or 1.5GW - depends who you ask) of power. It will provide power for 750,000 homes - approximately a quarter of London’s homes.
Rod - interesting that you say that. I’m an east coaster as well, but I recently moved out west. The amount of open space here still amazes me, and I agree that it does inspire a certain amount of optimism that is difficult to conjure up when you’re from the NYC suburbs (such as myself).
I’m all for this. But the population of Portland is 568,380 so they need to build nearly 3 farms to power just that one city. The awesome thing about this is just how much is needed just to replace the existing power structure. I think that building windmills and solar panels could be the next huge industry for this country.
Do you know what company will be supplying the windmills?
Amazing news!! I am confident that Oregon, though small, leads much of the nation in being “green”. I am very proud to live here.
That said, what is the hold-up for more of these types of farms? It seems like a no-brainer to me.
Solar power is following suit closely, keep your eyes peeled!
Take a look at this guardian article. Seems China will soon have some of the worlds biggest windfarms. Although they refuse to commit to specific targets, the work they are doing looks ambitious and quite promising.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/25/renewableenergy.alternativeenergy
Worlds Largest Wind Farm Planned In Oregon | CommentURL.com…
\r\nThe Portland Business Journal reports that Oregon has just been given the go-ah…
this is great! now we just need some in Florida along the shore lines… (ocean breeze)