Wind Generated Electricity in California
Anne and I were driving East along I580 when we saw
strange looking towers looming in the distance – each time we came up and over
a rise more and more towers seemed to manifest out of nowhere! Little did we know we were driving
through Altamont Pass, California, home to one of three primary wind farm
regions in California. Wind farm
development began here more than 30 years ago, and to date, more than
4,800 wind turbine towers stretch across the rolling landscape about an hour
east from San Francisco.
Image 1 Rolling hills in Altamont Pass, Ca - Copyright L.A. Lewin 2011
Really,
it was amazing to see wind turbines spread across the landscape. We had never seen anything like
it. Seeing it for the first time
was bizarre.
Even
more bizarre, the sight of cows grazing seemingly unfazed by these massive
structures and the constant non-harmonic hum they produced. The hum seemed to be everywhere and
nowhere; the sound travels in the wind that constantly blows across the
Altamont Pass region; an amazing experience, indeed.
Image 2 Seemingly unfazed cows graze among the wind turbines - Copyright L. A.
Lewin 2011
I
asked Anne to turn off the next exit so we could tour some of the back roads,
many of them unpaved, for photographic opportunities. Capturing the strange beauty of hundreds of wind turbines
painted across the golden hills in Altamont Pass was a task; very strong winds,
some gusting to 35+ miles per hour, made using a tripod useless; all shots are
hand held. For the shot along the
fence, (see Image 3), I had to brace
myself right up against the front grill of our rental SUV to keep the camera
and myself steady.
Image 3 Some wind turbines are 30 years old - Copyright L. A. Lewin 2011
Early
wind farm development included construction of wind turbine towers 60 feet to
80 feet in height. These low
profile towers interfere with bird migration and on the lower, 60 feet towers,
allows the rotating blade to come very close to the ground sometimes killing
raptors as they swoop low in search of prey. In a 2003 report issued by The National Renewable Energy
Laboratory, 1000 birds are killed annually in the Altamont Pass region!
Image 4 These older turbines are
being replaced with 400-450 feet structures by 2015
In
an effort to reduce the number of birds killed each year, some of the oldest
towers began replacement a few years ago with 250 feet towers, and more
recently with towers more than 400 feet in height! Taller structures keep the blades tips far off the ground
and away from low flying raptors, while the greater height will keep the
spinning turbine blades out of migration paths.
Image 5 More modern 250 feet wind turbine towers - Copyright L. A. Lewin 2011
