Tuesday, November 10, 2009

It's Windy Out There.


I don't know about you but I am totally fascinated by the landscape once I drive past The Dalles in Eastern Oregon. It's like entering another world. Not only does the sun finally appear but there is hardly anything green. Hello desert! The rolling hills sandwiching the Columbia River Gorge make for some of the best wind harvesting in the country. Now that there are over a thousand wind turbines blanketing the vast terrain, it's really starting to look like a new planet.


Klondike Biglow Canyon Oregon



Nighttime at Windy Point Wind Farm, Washington

These wind farms, measuring in at around 300-400 ft. tall (taller than any South Waterfront Condominium) and weighing over 200 tons, are the future of our electricity. The most powerful turbine in the gorge is Siemens Power Generation's 2.3 megawatt which can power almost 600 homes continuously. Despite their cost at over $1.5 million a pop, the motivation behind these technologically advanced windmills is saving money. If you can believe it. Within 7 months these modern day "farms" (a group of 50 turbines) can be up and running. Wind harvesting, as opposed to grain or vegetable harvesting, happens year round. The term "harvest time" has a whole new meaning.


Windy Point Wind Farm, Washington

Since our new venture with a photoshelter site, we have been uploading hundreds and hundreds of images.  Making sure they are all optimized for search engines takes time but one gallery that is completely done is our Wind Turbine gallery. Packed with some recent shots of Klondike Biglow Canyon and Windy Point, these beautiful images by Bruce Forster will fill all your stock needs! Check out the new site and throw us your opinions. We want to make it as easy to use as possible. And next time you have a free day, take a drive to Eastern Oregon to gawk at these non-traditional farms!


Windy Flats, Washington



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