Wind Farmes US

The U.S. has several of the largest wind farms in the world. The three largest, Altamont Pass, San Gorgonio Pass and Tehachapi Pass, are located in California. However, they are actually collections of dozens of individual wind farms. The farms have many different owners, turbine types and have been constructed, retrofitted and occasionally dismantled over several decades. As of 2005 all three of these areas are seeing renewed growth. Primarily, the old, small wind turbines are being replaced with much larger, more efficient wind turbines. And older, non-functional, turbines are being returned to service.

The Altamont Pass in Northern California is one of the first large wind farms. This is composed of large numbers of relatively small wind turbines of various types. They were installed after the 1970s energy crisis in response to favorable tax policies for investors. It has been said that their primary product is not electricity but rather tax write-offs. However, others say that: the type of incentives the government uses has led to an unhealthy cycle of booms and busts for the wind energy industry. The problems were not so much with the wind turbines themselves. Only a few of the turbine designs were fatally flawed and almost all of the others were able to be used. Still, these numerous small turbines are being gradually replaced with much larger and more cost-effective units. An advantage of the Altamont Pass site is that under hot inland (Central Valley) conditions, a thermal low is developed that brings in cool coastal marine air, driving the turbines at a time of maximum need. However, this phenomenon is not always reliable and with an inland high pressure condition the entire region can be both hot and windless. At this time additional power must be provided by natural gas-powered gas turbine peaked plants. The turbines are dangerous to various birds that hunt squirrels in the area. Others say that the dangers of wind farms to birds are often over stated. Numerous small and fast turning wind turbines at Tehachapi Pass The Tehachapi Pass and San Gorgonio Pass sites have not had the same problems as Altamont Pass has had. The winds at these sites are more consistent. Also, endangered bird kills have not been an issue. Even though California has the largest wind farms in the U.S., it is does not have very many commercially viable wind farm sites, at least not onshore. Much of the Southwest is not much better, although there are some significant exceptions. However, the Midwest has an abundance of suitable sites for wind energy development and yet the region's potential has gone largely untapped. As of 2005, several sites have been constructed or are in development in the Midwest. The Pacific Northwest and the Northeast both have many excellent sites as well. In contrast, the Southeast has a very poor wind energy resource, though the Appalachian Mountains do provide a few good areas.

In Massachusetts, two proposed wind farms have been treated very differently by residents. The Cape Wind project, a proposal to construct 130 offshore wind turbines in the Nantucket Sound, is the subject of heavy debate in the affluent communities of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. In contrast, the Hoosac Wind project, which will build 20 turbines on two ridgelines in the rural towns of Florida and Monroe, was initially the subject of little official controversy. Several other projects have been proposed for the area.

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