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 would like to say that there is no reason that we cant farm solar energy in eastern oregon in between brotheres and burns a hundred miles north and a hundred miles south. That is a 3 hour drive of nearly flat desert that has nothing but sage and the invasive juniper tree. We would have a little snow fall during the winter but the last trip I made out there was in boardmen with is north and it was in february and it was over a 100 degrees all day every day. there is always sun beating down on the baren desert maybe even over 300 days a year. I have traveled the desert in the whole area and the great thing is there is a giant set of power lines that go from the columbia gorge and north, strait down to california. I could set up a government grant to lease a 10,000 acre property for the next 100 years and set up a system for the public to be able to invest in their future, by buying their own panels at a workable price. and as the system builds cash flow then we would buy more and more panels. There is no reason that we cant make our usage from solar to nearly 75%or more. If I built a solar farm in eastern oregon I could produce more than enough energy to power every home in the usa. I am not even talking about when all our cars will be electric. we will probably be fueling our autos in our garage with a charger system in the future. How much energy will we be using then? It can all come from natural energy. We should give up burning fuel. We should save it for all the plastic thing we will need for the next 1000 years. it takes millions of dollars in energy to grow our giant trees if we had to use all the electricity to grow them for 45 years, that energy is freeeeeeeeeee for trees. We can harvest energy so easy from many natural systems, Like falling water, and the never ending wind, and the waves, rivers flowing that could turn generators. I think that it is silly how there is always naysayers about the good solutions and no one cares to change the whole energy system. when the whole answer is found by looking up.
Eventually all of our cars will be powered by either a battery charger that we change and swap out for a fresh charged one or we will have battery charge stations located like our current fuel stops.
We always think stupid crap like “the wind turbines kill seagulls” that is f*#%ed! who gives a crap about the seagulls they will never die off. we are killing our entire ecosystem off by the BURNING of fuels. I worked in the biofuel industry and it is not the answer.
I can not see any reason why we cant be harvesting the greatest energy source in the universe… The SUN!!!!!!
it is selfish that we have not already taken the step to change our bad habbits. I drive a one ton crew cab duramax diesel chevy truck that I use for my business, and I spend thousands of dollars each quarter on just getting to the jobs!! it sucks. why cant we be solving this damn problem already!!!!!!!!!!
Ok I know i am ranting. and I know that humans are animals of nessesity but come on its about past nessesary. If no one else starts farming the sun here in the great state of Oregon then I will! just look for it. We need to take it into our own hands and stop blogging about it and take care of our grandkids or we will just be stuck.
Oregon has always been the experimental state. When there is a new idea, some crazy oregonian goes out in the desert and welds some shit up and solves big problems. It will happen.
Dan Shultz
541 350 3996
oregondanman@gmail.com
if you want in then get a hold of me!
I love the whole Idea about being able to look out side of the box. There is at least one right way to solve every problem. lets find the answer.
Dan Shultz
Not to worry about over capacity. Since water use is drying up the lakes, many hydroelectric power stations will go offline. Wind blows 24 hrs a day, these turbines needs no storage, no pollution, and are magnificent to watch.
Those against wind farms will always be around to offer scary stories and totally fabricated problems. I recall one argument that had birds falling out of the sky as they run into the blades. Unsubstantiated and certainly not based on facts.
We need to guard against frivolous lawsuits and move quickly to stay ahead of the curve for clean sources of electricity.
[...] of “world’s biggest wind farm” isn’t really the point. You can tap any number of projects with some sort of title. Projects of this scale are only getting built because developers have [...]