Driving south from Grand Canyon National Park on Highway 64 I thought I saw wind turbines off in the distance. I didn’t remember seeing them before.
At first not easy to see and then I found a wide spot to pull off the road.
Right under these power lines. And when I got home I did some homework.
The Perrin Ranch Wind Energy Project north of Williams has brought much debate between renewable-energy advocates and nearby residents with concerns about property values, visual aesthetics, noise, and during ice being thrown from the blades. I find them almost sculptural, but then I’m not looking at them outside my windows every day.
The 62 turbines stand nearly 400 feet tall when the blades are pointing straight up. Each turbine can generate about 1.6 megawatts of power in a steady breeze, enough power to supply about 400 homes at once. Wind farms only run at their maximum capacity about 20 to 35 percent of the time which requires steady wind speeds of about 22 mph. Yet with a breeze of 8 mph or so, the turbines begin turning and making electricity. A sustained wind of 56 mph or a gust of 100 mph will cause the turbines to shut down for safety.
Perrin Ranch will be Coconino County’s first wind farm and the fourth and largest wind farm in Arizona. This 20,000 acre project was built on private ranch and state land by NextEra Energy Resources (NER) who sells the generated power to Arizona Public Service (APS). NER is a wholesale electricity supplier based in Juno Beach, Florida and is North America’s largest owner and operator of wind and solar electricity generating assets. They also own and operate generating plants powered by natural gas, nuclear fuel, and oil. APS has entered a long-term agreement with NER to purchase all power from this 99-megawatt wind farm. This agreement will help APS meet the current requirement of 15% of their electricity from renewable resources by 2025.
I certainly support the use of alternative energy yet have concerns for bats and birds in regards to wind turbines. Even if this is not a migratory route, due to the open fields I always see hawks hanging around. With only 6 months of data collected by Arizona Game and Fish there’s not enough information.
Where do you stand on the use of alternative power?
For more specific information on this project the Planning and Zoning Minutes from December 16, 2010 can be found here.
Nicely summarized… agree with you that I support alternative energy options, but figuring out where to put them is tough. I'm heading over to a CA desert area today to participate in a photo contest to raise awareness about disturbing the environment (there is a proposal to install large wind turbines in the area).
I am all for alternative power but I hate the wind turbines. They are popping up all over the place and quite frankly I think they are an eye sore. I am also worried about what happens to the wild life living in the areas. I have seen some horrible photos of wind turbine disaster, not very comforting if you live nearby!.
As for the power lines they are really not very pretty either, but I guess much cheaper and easier than putting them underground!
I just do not know where you draw the line. Diane
I hate them, they are an eyesore. There are proposals to install them on the wide open praires of Osage County here in Oklahoma.
Economically they are a loser. Without the tax credits they get they could not compete.
Wind turbines cover the mountains east of Idaho Falls near here. At night the sky is now covered by red blinking lights and they are very disliked by the residents there. They are not cost effective as I have studied.
Gaelyn, I love alternative energy but am concerned for the birds and the general ascetics of nature. In a place like AZ, it seems that solar power would be a better way to go as there is a year-round supply of the stuff with no harm to wildlife that I know of. Still, if the bird and wildlife concerns are addressed and the surrounding properties are not de-valued I am for it. However, I do fear a day when this will go out of style and we will all have rotting metal structures dotting the landscape.
Okay, just read everyone else's comments. I did not know that they do not supply enough energy to cover their cost and I do agree that a few are okay, but wind farms everywhere would be an eyesore. However, my greatest concern is still their impact on birds and bats and things like that.
Coolest wind farms ever are in the desert just outside Palm Springs. Hundreds of windmills. Strangely beautiful there in the middle of the desert. But really, not sure I'd want them in my back yard. In the middle of the desert though, they're really cool looking.
There has also been a lot of debate about wind turbines around South Africa. The put one up outside Port Elizabeth and there was talk about more, but nothing since.
These are a good stop-gap while other methods are being developed…
I know I wouldn't want to fly into one!
All power generation has its trade-offs. Even the solar cells Hubby and I have needed energy to produce and I understand there are pollution issues in their manufacture.
The underlying issue is the number of people inhabiting the earth.
Like you, I don't mind seeing the wind turbines or solar farms but I don't live next to one.
At first it seemed like a no-brainer But then I worried about the birds. Did read something the other day (thought I'd saved,but can't find it) that said they have changed the speed of the turbines or something and so they aren't killing the birds any more. I need to find out if that's true or just propaganda.
I always wondered about birds around wind turbines. As a park ranger (?, haven't been deeply in your blog yet) have you seen a lot of dead ones lying around compared to other places? That would give a clue.
Still need some time to visit your past posts but I will, I will…
I am personally intrigued by them and, having grown up in a very windy place, can at least appreciate the attempt to harness an otherwise nerve-shattering weather element. I don't have a backyard but I wouldn't mind seeing them all the time, I don't think. But then, I like to imagine they are alien spaceships landing in the night.