Stateline Wind Project
Encyclopedia
The Stateline Wind Farm is a wind farm
located on Vansycle Ridge, which receives 16 to 18 mph (26 – 29 km/h) average wind speeds from the Columbia Gorge
, on the border between Washington and Oregon
in the United States
. With 186 turbines currently operating in both states and 279 more approved for construction, it is the largest wind project in the Northwestern United States
and will be the largest in the world. Costing $
300 million to build, it began operation in 2001.
The project employs 660 kW capacity Vestas
wind turbines, which collectively will produce a maximum electrical output of 306.9 MW. (The current operating capacity is 122.8 MW.) On average, the project is expected to produce 30 to 35 percent of that capacity year-round. Turbines are controlled individually by electronic systems which direct them into the wind and adjust the pitch of the blades to maximize electrical production at any wind speed from 7 to 56 mph. The turbines automatically shut down at wind speeds excess of 56 mph, a feature which allows them to withstand hurricane-force winds.
The wind turbines are grouped in strings of 5 to 37 turbines, each turbine spaced approximately 250 feet (76 m) from the next, generally slightly downwind of the crest of ridges. Each turbine tower is 166 feet (50 m) tall, with blades 76 feet (23 m) wide.
Environmental impact studies determined that the site was not used extensively by bird
s or other species vulnerable to injury from turbines, and the turbine towers' construction, along with the use of underground power lines
, was designed to minimize perching places for birds. The area around the project is used primarily for private farming
, including dryland wheat
farming and cattle grazing
.
The Stateline Wind Project is several miles northwest of the Vansycle Wind Project
in Umatilla County, Oregon
. Both are owned and operated by Florida Power & Light
.
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
located on Vansycle Ridge, which receives 16 to 18 mph (26 – 29 km/h) average wind speeds from the Columbia Gorge
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south...
, on the border between Washington and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. With 186 turbines currently operating in both states and 279 more approved for construction, it is the largest wind project in the Northwestern United States
Northwestern United States
The Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, to which part of southeast Alaska is also sometimes included...
and will be the largest in the world. Costing $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
300 million to build, it began operation in 2001.
The project employs 660 kW capacity Vestas
Vestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world, but due to very rapid growth of its competitors, its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009...
wind turbines, which collectively will produce a maximum electrical output of 306.9 MW. (The current operating capacity is 122.8 MW.) On average, the project is expected to produce 30 to 35 percent of that capacity year-round. Turbines are controlled individually by electronic systems which direct them into the wind and adjust the pitch of the blades to maximize electrical production at any wind speed from 7 to 56 mph. The turbines automatically shut down at wind speeds excess of 56 mph, a feature which allows them to withstand hurricane-force winds.
The wind turbines are grouped in strings of 5 to 37 turbines, each turbine spaced approximately 250 feet (76 m) from the next, generally slightly downwind of the crest of ridges. Each turbine tower is 166 feet (50 m) tall, with blades 76 feet (23 m) wide.
Environmental impact studies determined that the site was not used extensively by bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s or other species vulnerable to injury from turbines, and the turbine towers' construction, along with the use of underground power lines
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
, was designed to minimize perching places for birds. The area around the project is used primarily for private farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, including dryland wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
farming and cattle grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
.
The Stateline Wind Project is several miles northwest of the Vansycle Wind Project
Vansycle Wind Project
The Vansycle I Wind Project is a wind farm in Umatilla County, Oregon. It consists of 38 Vestas 0.66 MW wind turbines at the upper end of Vansycle Canyon with a collective nameplate generating capacity of 25.08 MW...
in Umatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the Umatilla River. In 2010, its population was 75,889...
. Both are owned and operated by Florida Power & Light
Florida Power & Light
Florida Power & Light Company, the principal subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. , commonly referred to by its initials, FPL, is a Juno Beach, Florida-based power utility which serves roughly 4.4 million customers in Florida. FPL Group holds power generation assets in more than 20 U.S...
.
See also
- Bonneville Environmental FoundationBonneville Environmental FoundationThe Bonneville Environmental Foundation is a non-profit organization that markets green power products to public utilities, businesses, government agencies and individuals. It was founded in 1998 to support watershed restoration programs and develop new sources of renewable energy...
- Wind power in the United StatesWind power in the United StatesAs of the third quarter of 2011, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power in the United States was 43,461 megawatts , making it second in the world, behind China. In 2010 wind power accounted for 2.3% of the electricity generated in the United States...
External links
- Renewable Northwest Project site.
- Oregon government site.