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Texas Windmill Operation

allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,675 ✭✭✭✭
edited September 2018 in General Discussion
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This is the Loraine Wind Park in Loraine, Texas, way out on I 20 west of Abilene, way out in the country.


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It is a long way to any city so I wonder where they send all this electricity. There was an 8 mph breeze but these Big Boys were really cranking!


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These things are really huge! It must be 200 feet to the top of the blade when at 12:00 High.
I counted 234 of these on the north side of I 20, and they just faded off into the horizon. There must be more than that.
Also there are just as many on the south side.

Comments

  • remingtonoaksremingtonoaks Member Posts: 26,245 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My bet is that most of the power is going to California. That's where all the alternative electric sources in Utah go to...

    That includes wind generated, solar and geothermal power. They get the benefits we deal with the pollution....[V][V]
  • grumpygygrumpygy Member Posts: 48,464 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    And the ones in California sit Idle.
  • remingtonoaksremingtonoaks Member Posts: 26,245 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by grumpygy
    And the ones in California sit Idle.


    That's because they create too much pollution and or negative impact on the environment. And the California tree huggers won't let them operate them

    but they not have no problem with other states dealing with their pollution and or negative impact on the environment. [xx(][xx(][xx(]
  • guns-n-painthorsesguns-n-painthorses Member Posts: 6,462 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ugly rain oners, ain't they?
  • joshmb1982joshmb1982 Member Posts: 8,228 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    My wife used to be a biologist for the game commission, She had to deal with the wind farms they were putting up.

    She is not a fan of the turbines. She says the number of birds and bats that they kill is unreal. The blades don't have to hit something to kill it. The end of those blades are moving at upwords of 125 mph. She says they created little vortex's behind them and if a small bird or bat flies through it, it damages their lungs and they die.

    You can walk on those mountain tops and not hear a single bird now.
  • gearheaddadgearheaddad Member Posts: 15,091 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Uglier than sin itself.
    My friend is a retired insurance inspector. He claims these are so inefficient, they should all be taken down. Such a small window of wind speeds to operate correctly.
    The only one who makes out is the landowner who leases the land and the contractors who install and maintain them.
    A true blight on the countryside.
    I hate them.
  • grdad45grdad45 Member Posts: 5,380 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I read somewhere that they use so much energy making and installing them that it takes over 20 years for them to break even (if they don't break down). There is a company here in Arkansas that makes the blades, and we see them being shipped West on I30 all the time. Big long trailers with escorts ahead and behind, I'd hate to pay the freight bill for even one of them.
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by gearheaddad
    Uglier than sin itself.
    My friend is a retired insurance inspector. He claims these are so inefficient, they should all be taken down. Such a small window of wind speeds to operate correctly.
    The only one who makes out is the landowner who leases the land and the contractors who install and maintain them.
    A true blight on the countryside.
    I hate them.


    I don't like them either, Ed. They were all along my latest route from Seattle to San Diego, to East Texas, Missouri, and back. And now that Josh has made note about the danger they represent to birds the picture gets uglier yet.
    What's next?
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by gearheaddad
    Uglier than sin itself.
    My friend is a retired insurance inspector. He claims these are so inefficient, they should all be taken down. Such a small window of wind speeds to operate correctly.
    The only one who makes out is the landowner who leases the land and the contractors who install and maintain them.
    A true blight on the countryside.
    I hate them.


    I don't like them either, Ed. They were all along my latest route from Seattle to San Diego, to East Texas, Missouri, and back. And now that Josh has made note about the danger they represent to birds the picture gets uglier yet.
    What's next?
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