Farming the wind: One of these is not like the other.
The Altamont Pass Wind Farm is located in the Altamont Pass of the Diablo Range in Central California. It is one of the earliest wind farms in the United States. The wind farm is composed of 4930 wind turbines of various types, making it at one time the largest farm in the world in terms of capacity. Altamont Pass is still the largest concentration of wind turbines in the world, with a capacity of 576 megawatts (MW), producing about 125 MW on average and 1.1 terawatt-hours (TWh) yearly. They were installed after the 1970s energy crisis in response to favorable tax policies for investors.
As of 2010, a settlement has been reached between the Audubon Society, Californians for Renewable Energy and NextEra Energy Resources (who operate some 5,000 turbines in the area). Nearly half of the smaller turbines will be replaced by newer, more bird-friendly models. The project is expected to be complete by 2015 and includes $2.5 million for raptor habitat restoration.
© John Krzesinski, 2012.
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By Images by John ‘K’ on 2012-09-28 13:09:46
What a great photo, love the perspective in this photo, very nicely done!
I know there has been some concern and controversy over bird mortality caused by wind generation, but if we can solve these problems I think it can be a significant contribution to decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Nice – you were out in my neighborhood!!! Great shot with the row of turbines.
These turbines in long rows are a great subject for perspective . Well captured John , have a great week ahead my friend .
WOW!! I love this shot, John! Great color and lines!! This definitely looks like a magazine shot! Great work!