Moon Rise behind the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm
The wind was blowing pretty hard today putting all kinds of dust and other stuff in the air. At dusk I decided it was time to head home and as I was driving down Snow Creek Road I noticed the moon rising behind the wind turbines.
Each of these units is a horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT). They are called horizontal-axis because the main rotor shaft is horizontal. The blades are attached to an electrical generator at the top of a tower and they must be pointed into the wind. The units have a gearbox so the generators can turn at a speed higher than the relatively slow blade rotation speed.
The blades are about 150 feet (46 meters) long and the towers are about 300 feet (91 meters) tall. That makes them really huge and really expensive to transport and assemble in the field. Many of the wind turbines are smaller than these units.
Coolness factor aside, the wind turbines are a scam. The turbine owners make money because of guaranteed government subsidies and tax credits (i.e., paid for you and me). Most of us have a surcharge on our electric bills to pay for "green" energy. A megawatt of wind-generated electricity costs about 11 or 12 times as much to produce as a megawatt of coal- or oil-generated electricity.
The government subsidies are more vital to the wind industry than the wind is. Without the subsidies, wind cannot compete against coal and oil. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (July 9, 2008) pointed out that, "In 1999, 2001 and 2003, when Congress temporarily killed the credits, the number of new turbines dropped dramatically." When the subsidies stop, the turbines are more or less abandoned until the subsidies resume.
On top of everything else, wind turbines generate their energy at the wrong times. A quick weather lesson . . . High pressure weather systems bring cold winters and hot summers and low wind levels. Low pressure weather systems bring warmer winters and cooler summers and lots of wind. These meteorological realities mean that wind makes its biggest contribution when demand is lowest and its smallest contribution when demand is highest.
Wind was a great source of power in the Middle Ages. But we have far better technology now. If the government did not force wind power on us, we wouldn't have it. It's just not practical.
Sorry about the rant.
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Update 1: This photo was used to accompany an article by Matthew McDermott (New York, New York) on January 27, 2009: Double US Renewable Energy Generation Within Three Years: President Obama
Update 2: This photo was used to accompany an article by Paul Ryan, Newcastle wins $20 million Clean Energy Innovation Centre, on February 20, 2009.
Update 3: This photo was used to accompany an article, Careers, on the Land Agent Services LLC website on March 10, 2009.
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Comments and faves
Ks of W, OrangeCounty_Girl, bossco, Cygnus~X1 - Visions by Sorenson, and 135 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Cygnus~X1 - Visions by Sorenson (41 months ago | reply)
Beautiful capture! Amazing how lit up the near sides of the turbines are.
These are going up all over around us right now. Strangely, I live near Biotown (holding back a snicker or two), USA...and they haven't built any right around it. Then again, I think all the hot air blowing out of Biotown is enough to solve the world's energy problems.
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cptdrinian - now to catch up (41 months ago | reply)
That is a truly excellent shot.
john4kc (41 months ago | reply)
That photo blows my straight moon shot away. There's only a few items but so much to look at.
bossco (41 months ago | reply)
great shot
Jibby! (On Sabbatical) (41 months ago | reply)
Absolutely totally awesome shot!
sebastien joho (41 months ago | reply)
Brilliant.
Jeff Cushner (41 months ago | reply)
Great Shot! Wonderful Contrast!
I was thinking if you had the sun rising or setting instead of the moon, what a commercial for alternative power!
Fionn Luk (41 months ago | reply)
Wow that is a huge moon! Wonderful.
Jeanne Kliemesch (41 months ago | reply)
a very nice picture !!!
Caveman Chuck Coker (41 months ago | reply)
vanedisabatino (41 months ago | reply)
preciosa foto!
Pete Zarria (41 months ago | reply)
Truly exquisite. As fine an image as you've done to date.
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Caveman Chuck Coker (41 months ago | reply)
> Oh, and 'Right On!'
I'm glad you enjoyed my splendiferous photo.
For everyone else: I got tired of writing beautiful over and over when I'd visit other people's photos. Beautiful is exactly the right word, but it seems so overused it's become meaningless. So to help remedy the situation, I made a web page with Adjectives Meaning "Beautiful".
Pete Zarria (41 months ago | reply)
Now you have rendered quite a service to us Flickr'ers. Yes, English is too limited for the panoply of wondrous photos here. I'm starting to think I'll use foreign phrases
john4kc (41 months ago | reply)
Beautiful ('cause it's the right word) web page you've made there. Bookmarked.
Caveman Chuck Coker (41 months ago | reply)
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managerri (41 months ago | reply)
Seen In:
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stefanspy (33) (41 months ago | reply)
Seen In:
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Thank you for sharing!
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Juan Olucha (41 months ago | reply)
Seen In:
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Spice ♥ Darling (41 months ago | reply)
Seen In:
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Caveman Chuck Coker (41 months ago | reply)
franchè86...)O( (41 months ago | reply)
Nooooooooooo!!!!
Troppo spettacolare....troppo!!!!!!!!!
Caveman Chuck Coker (41 months ago | reply)
steeladw (41 months ago | reply)
This is a beauty! Nice job!
Caveman Chuck Coker (41 months ago | reply)
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Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Damn! I Wish I'd Taken That!!! (Invite Only) Post 1-Award 2, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
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Caveman Chuck Coker (41 months ago | reply)
rick_4848 (41 months ago | reply)
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nickpix2012 (41 months ago | reply)
This is an award NOT AN INVITE
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Karl Batchelor (41 months ago | reply)
Your Image Truly Is:
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ryan retina (41 months ago | reply)
amazing composition, well down
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Sunderland Photographer John Galloway (41 months ago | reply)
Stunning pic Chuck and great write up, very informative.
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Caveman Chuck Coker (41 months ago | reply)
gicol (41 months ago | reply)
this's awesome...awesomely beautiful....great!!!!!!!
I saw this in the 10+ Faves group and Faved it.
gicol (41 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called The New Academy: [ Invited photos only ] - [ post 1, Comment 3 ], and we'd love to have this added to the group!
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Jose Luis Ogea (41 months ago | reply)
AWESOME! seen in :
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hey joh (41 months ago | reply)
Brilliant capture! Love the colours and composition
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AWESOME! seen in :
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AWESOME! seen in :
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Richardjo53 (41 months ago | reply)
This is a great shot
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AWESOME! seen in :
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