Special report answers common questions & myths about wind turbines

“‘What are these things?’ ‘What are they doing?’ And some people come up with ‘Oh they’re cooling the desert’, ‘They’re water pumps’.” told Joey Etter, Senior Lead Technician with Iberdrola Renewables.

Setting the record straight, the wind turbines are only powered by wind, there is not a motor inside, and the newer models are not loud.

Ken Huskey, Director of Tour Operations for Best of the Best Tours, said, “Most wind farms have a 45 decibel limit at the plant perimeter, that’s less than your refrigerator in your house.”

There are three major wind parks in the state of California, the Altamont Pass, the Tehachapi Pass, and the San Gorgonio Pass. Our local area is an ideal location for the collection of wind energy.

“What happens here, although they’re in the hottest and driest desert in North America, the hot air rises and pulls that cool air coming off the marine layer 90 miles away. Cool air moves in, hits the mountains and begins to funnel through the mountain pass. Mother nature creates in the mountain pass what is called a Venturi effect and that’s why all our turbines are located in the pass to take advantage of that acceleration of the wind,” explained Huskey.

Wind does not flow uniformly across the surface of the earth. That’s why you may see one turbine spinning and another not.

Huskey broke it down, “Basically they’ve got to meet criteria beginning with a cut in speed. That’s going to be roughly 8 MPH before a turbine will begin to operate. So when the anemometer determines that the wind is 8 MPH or greater it’s going to yaw into the wind and then the blades can be pitched like this and that articulation is going to capture the wind and begin the generator.”

“If the winds are too strong, 25 meter seconds which is around 50-60 mph, will actually shut the turbine down and make it go into a stop mode,” Etter continued.

One turbine creating one megawatt of energy can power approximately 300 Southern California homes. And there are just under 3,000 individual wind turbines in the San Gorgonio Pass including a variety of models and styles. Combined there’s potential for 650 megawatts of electricity at one time.

“We could install more wind turbines out here but we need more transmission lines to get the power to market,” noted Huskey.

The power generated goes onto the grid and is distributed across the region.

Huskey continued, “If you live in the Coachella Valley and you’re a customer of Southern California Edison companies you get about 10% of your electricity from wind energy.” That percentage isn’t higher to protect the integrity of the grid.

Not only have new models increased efficiency, they have also helped to drop the price of wind energy.

“First generation turbines were about 30 cents per kilowatt hour now I’m seeing purchase power agreements at about 2.4/2.5 cents per kilowatt hour. In the last four years alone, we have seen a 66 percent reduction in the cost of power from wind turbines,” claimed Huskey.

Our valley giants aren’t just a landmark to be viewed, they are pioneers in the industry.

Etter disclosed the maintenance cycle for a turbine as two times a year. Most checkups involve grease and oil, and making sure everything is synchronized. Job opportunities are plentiful in this sector, and continue to grow.

Additionally, the color white was chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a precaution for pilots to be able to spot them readily. The red lights that blink atop them are coordinated so when a pilot flies over the pass, they get a full feel for the size of the wind farm. When it comes to wildlife, impact is minimal for this area. Before building a site, there are 58 mammals, 46 reptiles and amphibians, and 300 species of birds that set a benchmark. Then, migratory birds are factored in.