HOME ON THE WINDY RANGE

Cutting across the valley on Highway 12, a two-lane ribbon of road (soon to be widened) I was drawn by the wind and the giant blades of 75 whirling wind turbines, set against a picturesque landscape of rolling grass fields and ranching.  I have driven this route many times, but not since the 2009 installation of the Shiloh II Wind Farm, a project created by enXco, in partnership with local ranchers.  Here, sheep and cattle graze beneath the balletic blades of 30 story-tall wind turbines.  These turbines, spread across 6,000+ acres, create enough energy to power 75,000 homes per year.  98% of the acreage involved is usable farmland.  The blades spin 11 to 20 times per minute, slower than older models, providing greater visibility to birds, in hopes of minimizing bird injuries, while providing renewable energy at 52% optimization out of 59% maximal optimization.  The kinetic movement of the computerized turbines is as compelling as any kinetic Art form.  Collectively they inspire awe.  For more information and great video visuals see:  

For more information see:

Business Wire: enXco Dedicates the 150 MW Shiloh II Wind Project

Photo: windpowerninja.com

From a July press release, we see Google has decided to give back to the Earth a little. A chunk of Google’s data centers (without which we would be search-less!) will be powered by the wind for the next 20 years!

Google announced the deal with NextEra Energy in late July and have reported that they will be taking 114 megawatts of the grid and onto NextEra’s wind farms in Iowa. The big contract should additionally give NextEra more funding to invest in other energy projects and will hopefully be the butterfly needed to begin the sustainable energy hurricane.

Official press release after the break…

NextEra Energy Resources signs PPA with Google Energy to supply wind power

JUNO BEACH, Fla. – NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, the competitive energy subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) and North America’s leading generator of wind power, today announced that it has entered into a power purchase agreement with Google Energy, LLC. Google Energy will purchase 114 megawatts of clean, renewable energy from NextEra Energy Resources’ Story II Wind Energy Center in operation in Story and Hardin counties in Iowa.

“We are thrilled to welcome Google Energy to our growing list of customers and appreciate their support of emission-free, renewable energy,” said Mike O’Sullivan, senior vice president of development for NextEra Energy Resources. “With the support of customers like Google Energy, we’ve built our wind fleet from fewer than 500 megawatts a decade ago to more than 7,600 megawatts – the largest fleet in North America today.”

The 150-megawatt Story II Wind Energy Center began operation in December 2009. Power deliveries to Google Energy will begin on July 30, 2010. The remaining 36 megawatts from the Story II Wind Energy Center are currently being sold to the city of Ames, Iowa.

NextEra Energy Resources is no stranger to Iowa. The company currently has nearly 700 wind turbines in operation in Iowa with a nameplate capacity of more than 1,000 megawatts that are capable of generating enough power to serve more than 250,000 average homes.

NextEra Energy Resources now has more than 9,000 wind turbines in operation at 77 wind farms in 17 states and Canada. The company’s North American wind fleet avoided approximately 14 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2009, which is the equivalent of removing approximately 2.4 million cars from the road, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon-equivalency calculator.

NextEra Energy Resources
NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a clean energy leader and one of the largest competitive energy suppliers in North America. A subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), NextEra Energy Resources is the largest generator in North America of renewable energy from the wind and sun. It operates clean, emissions-free nuclear power generation facilities in New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin as part of the NextEra Energy nuclear fleet, which is the third largest in the United States. NextEra Energy had 2009 revenues of more than $15 billion, nearly 43,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and more than 15,000 employees in 28 states and Canada. For more information, visit www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

[Via: Engadget]
[Source: Official Google Blog]

Photo: inhabitat.com

We’ve looked a lot at solar energy, electric vehicles, sustainable transportation at Green Growth but little have we covered on the topic of wind energy. When I saw this headline, I thought it would be the perfect intro to you readers.

It’s a BIG project that GE Energy and Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation are moving forward with the blessing of Ohio Governor Ted Strickland – the construction and implementation of five wind turbines by 2012 to generate 20 MW of electricity, and enough turbines by 2020 to generate at least 1,000 MW. This will be the United State’s first fresh-water wind farm – the first salt-water is to be in Cape Cod.

For more specifics on the technology involved with these specialized turbines, continue on.

These turbines will be 300 feet tall, gearless, operated on a giant ring of magnets, and made with carbon fiber blades to be longer and lighter. The combination of this innovative design is meant to allow these enormous turbines to generate power even on relatively low wind speeds.

This one project opens up the idea for an entire Great Lakes wind farm that will bring in large amounts of renewable energy. But what is treasure for some (like us), is trash for others who believe the turbines may decrease value of the land by taking away from the view and possibly being dangerous to birds, whales, fishing, and aviation.

For information on a the Cape Cod wind farm.

[Source: Inhabitat]

Where does energy come from? from In The Can Productions on Vimeo.

Dill Pickle Club Poster

My summer vacation took me to the Jersey Shore.  Knee deep in the surf of the Atlantic Ocean reminded me there is powerful energy in waves that tug back and forth.  Energy, how we manage and use it as a resource is at the heart of the swiftly expiring Climate Bill.  While wave energy is still in its infancy, other clean forms of energy are being studied for reliability, efficiency and sustainability.  The Dill Pickle Club from Portland will be looking at this question in their next field trip along the Columbia Gorge “Where does energy come from?” on July 29th.   The tour will take you to the Dalles Dam and the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm.

How else will you get to see a wind farm?  Jonesing for that elementary field trip experience, contact Dill Pickle Club Thanks for sending Marc Mosato.