In 2006, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in an alliance with General Electric, went ahead in constructing a 120 megawatt wind farm, named the Pine Tree Wind Project. It is supposed to one day satisfy 20 percent of the utility's energy demands.
During the year 2004, wind energy in the whole state of California produced greater than 4,200 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, approximately 1.5 percent of total electricity generated. More than 90 percent of all of the state's wind generating apparatus is located in three areas: Altamont Pass, San Gorgonio and Tehachapi.
Wind power plants are made up of turbines that take advantage of the energy in wind motion to create mechanical energy, which is then changed into electrical energy. Wind turbines can be placed near farms, homes and businesses in windy locations, such as along the California coast. Turbines can also be used in areas where it isn't cost-efficient to run power lines.
The parts of a wind farm include turbines, distribution through an underground power station and a connection from the farm to the closest power grid. Wind power is more obtainable in certain seasons because the climate affects wind speed. In California, speeds are highest in the sweltering summer months. An estimated three-quarters of all yearly wind energy is generated during the spring and summer.
Although power created by older wind turbines is not as cost effective as some other forms of energy generation, newer wind turbine designs should be able to be competitive with power costs from nuclear and coal plants.
Some of the advantages in utilizing wind energy include: non-deployment of polluting conventional power plants; no pollution in the air, soil or water; it is completely renewable; the installment process is relatively quick; and energy production not affected by gas and oil price increases.
However, there are some areas of concern with wind power, such as: the required use of extensive tracts of land, albeit the fact that simultaneous land uses are available for such endeavors as agriculture and cattle grazing. Other potential problems are that it can cause erosion in desert areas, and disrupt wildlife habitats.
