The Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition has welcomed Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as its new Chairman and Vice Chairman. “States continue to play a leading role developing the nation’s renewable energy resources, and capturing the jobs and economic benefits that these growing clean energy industries provide,” said Governor Inslee. “Washington state’s…
What role does transportation and logistics play in the wind industry?
The problem with moving wind-turbine components is their size–they are gigantic. Nacelles can weigh as much as 205,000 pounds, while half of a tower can be 15-ft wide and almost 120-ft long. And blades–conversation stoppers on most highways– easily span 180 ft. Moving these structures takes special equipment, trucks, trains, ships, and harbors. Siemens is…
Tiny bird kills big wind project
State legislatures in Washington once called a proposed wind farm on Radar Ridge near Naselle “a great idea.” But state legislator Dan Takko added, “it’s got all the good things going for it, except for that little bird.” The little bird is the marbled murrelet, a threatened species since 1992. Concern for the robin-sized bird…
A Washington wind map for 80m
The Department of Energy’s Wind Program and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has published a wind resource map for the state of Washington. The resource map shows the predicted mean annual wind speeds at 80-m height. Presented at a spatial resolution of about 2 km (interpolated to a finer scale for display). Areas with…
What might you learn in wind-turbine school?
The Northwest Renewable Energy Institute provides an Intro to Wind for those with a hankering to work 300 ft off the ground. Students at the Vancouver, Washington school will cover the following topics with a certified and experienced instructor. In this introductory course, students will become familiar with the rules and regulations of the Northwest…
50-MW for Washington
The 50-MW Linden Wind Project in southern Washington has completed construction. The wind farm consists of 25 REpower MM92 turbines in Klickitat County, and has been under construction since November 2009.