Windmills Make a Comeback

Wind turbines are popping up in California, in the isolated steppes of the Soviet Union, and even all the way down to the South Pole. So says Weerberichten (Weather Reports), a Dutch bimonthly bulletin. The reason? Wind is an efficient energy source, and there is plenty of it.

The Tehachapi Valley Wind Park, 190 miles (300 km) north of Los Angeles, California, already has 50 turbines operating and will provide a total output of 13.5 megawatts when completed. East of San Francisco, a wind farm with 44 turbines is selling enough power to supply 400 families. Plans are to expand the number of turbines to several hundred and to produce 30 million kilowatt-hours per year​—enough for 4,800 families.

Meanwhile, in Cycloon, near Moscow, 12 different types of wind turbines are being tested for producing electrical and mechanical energy for isolated settlements and arid regions in the Soviet Union. “These systems have the potential to turn the steppe into an oasis,” noted a Radio Moscow commentator.

Four other turbines will end up in really isolated territory​—Antarctica. Now when cold polar winds blow, scientists stationed there should be happy. They will need the electricity generated to run the station and keep comfortable.