624 wind turbines, each the height of a 41-story building as measured from the ground to the tip of the highest turbine blade, have erected along the crest of the Columbia Hills and on peaks south and east of this town of 90 in the last four years.
Who owns the Columbia Gorge’s wind turbines?
What is the source of our energy? Much of our work at CUB is based on the notion that bringing this issue to the attention of utility customers is in their best interests. The Columbia Gorge has been a key source of power for Oregonians since the completion of the John Day and Bonneville Hydroelectric Dams. However, another source of energy in the region has increased dramatically during the last two decades: wind power.
The Columbia River Gorge is a river canyon in Oregon. The Columbia Gorge, located on the Oregon-Washington border, was carved out of millions of years of erosion by the Columbia River. The Columbia River connects the eastern and western halves of Oregon and Washington by water. The Columbia is a hotspot for kiteboarding, parasailing, and other water activities, in addition to its ecological benefits and usefulness as a shipping corridor. The Columbia Gorge is a good area for wind power development due to the same physical qualities that attract aficionados of these activities.
Differences in air pressure and/or air density generate wind. Air moves to compensate for pressure differences between two regions. Because high-pressure air is denser than low-pressure air, air from high-pressure areas tends to spread to low-pressure areas. There is a pressure difference in the Pacific Northwest between the cold wet air above Portland and the hot, dry air over the parched area east of the Cascades. Cold air travels under warm air via the Columbia River Gorge to equalize the pressure difference, resulting in wind.
Hundreds of wind turbines have been constructed in the Columbia River Gorge during the last two decades to harness this wind. These turbines are owned by a variety of people. Wind farms in the region are owned by private enterprises as well as utilities from California, Oregon, and Washington. Leaning Juniper and Goodnoe Hills are owned and operated by Pacific Power. The maximum production of an energy generating resource under particular parameters designated by the manufacturer is 67 megawatts for the Leaning Juniper and 103 megawatts for the Goodnoe Hills. These wind power plants were recently refurbished; for further details, read CUB’s PacifiCorp repowering blog post from March 2019. The Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, which is located in Sherman County, Oregon, is owned by Portland General Electric. The nameplate capacity of Biglow Canyon is 450 megawatts.
Because of its low fuel costs, wind power is a popular energy source. Wind power, on the other hand, isn’t a perfect energy source. Wind production is difficult to predict. Wind can’t be stored, and it’s impossible to control its speed. The location of Columbia Gorge wind resources on the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) system, on the other hand, allows power system management to deal with wind’s fluctuation. A power system’s electricity generation must always meet its loads. In the Columbia River Gorge, BPA provides wind generation integration services. Wind integration services are a technical name for energy services that compensate for the issues outlined above with wind power. BPA charges wind power facility operators a fee for all of these services. The generating imbalance service is a key integration service. The wind shortage produces a generation imbalance on the regional energy grid when wind does not produce as forecasts predict. BPA compensates for the energy shortfall from wind by using energy from federal hydroelectric dams, and charges wind turbine owners for this service.
Wind power in the Columbia Gorge has been successfully developed as a power source for the Pacific Northwest. Wind power development by utilities has increased in recent years throughout the region. Due to rising renewable portfolio regulations, CUB expects this tendency to continue.
In Oregon, how many wind turbines are there?
As of October 1, 2020, Oregon has 46 existing wind farms and four state-run facilities under development, totaling 894 MW, with another 550 MW of wind projects approved or under consideration.
What are the dimensions of the windmills in the Columbia Gorge?
Winds along the Columbia River Gorge in the Pacific Northwest frequently reach speeds of 10 to 40 miles per hour. Windsurfers, paragliders, and sustainable energy aficionados benefit from the strong winds, which are a problem for sightseers.
Wind turbines already in place in the Gorge have the capacity to generate up to 4500 megawatts of power, which is enough to power more than five 800-megawatt nuclear power plants. However, because to the wind’s unpredictable nature, engineers are unable to properly harness that power.
Because conventional coal and nuclear power facilities take a long time to start up and cool down, utility operators demand accurate wind output estimates. The energy is squandered if wind power floods the grid without notice.
The Gorge’s stunning environment, however, includes mountains, canyons, and coastal areas, all of which produce a range of complicated impacts that affect wind conditions and make forecasting difficult.
More precise projections could aid in the integration of more wind energy into the system, lowering electricity costs.
The Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP2), a four-year collaboration between the US Department of Energy (DOE), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other organizations to enhance wind forecasting models, is one example.
“If grid operators are confident in their knowledge of where and when the wind is blowing, they can switch off’spinning reserves,’ such as coal plants, which are kept online in case wind forecasts are incorrect and backup energy is required,” explains NOAA’s Joe Olson.
These back-up supplies are ultimately a cost that citizens must bear.
Mira, mira on the wall…
The National Center for Environmental Prediction runs two hourly-updating atmospheric forecast models with grid spacing of 13 km and 3 km, respectively, at NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Prediction. However, these models are largely designed to replicate weather on flat terrain, such as that found in the Midwest of the United States. Models with a significantly finer 750 m grid spacing are required to resolve wind characteristics in more complex topography like the Gorge, a 16-fold increase.
Collecting substantial real-world data for model testing and validation is the first stage in improving the accuracy of models to run at grid intervals of 750 meters (about 1/6 the size of Central Park, or the area of an ordinary wind farm). The WFIP2 team used more than 20 environmental sensors in the Gorge to collect wind conditions every 10 minutes for an 18-month period in order to accomplish this realistic modeling.
The data will be transferred to NOAA, where it will be incorporated into a 3D model of the atmosphere. These initial circumstances are subsequently sent to Mira, the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility’s (ALCF) 10-petaFLOPS IBM Blue Gene/Q supercomputer, to execute experimental models.
Mira was chosen because of its highly parallel architecture, which allows the team to efficiently simulate a huge number of weather events at high model resolutions.
“We compare projections to observations gathered in the Columbia River Basin to identify weather phenomena that are particularly challenging to predict.” We then re-run the model numerous times for those selected case studies as we refine components of the model until we uncover improvements, according to Olson.
Modeling synergy
After the field data gathering period concludes in March 2017, scientists will simulate a whole year of weather conditions in the Gorge, with a focus on wind conditions, comparing the present 3 kilometer control model to a new model with improved physical parameters.
However, anticipating wind conditions for terrain with such a high degree of intricacy has proven difficult for the researchers.
“The most difficult element is figuring out which part of the model forecast system is causing the disparities between forecasts and observations,” Olson adds. ” Our main focus is on improving the model physics, but we’ve discovered that errors can also be caused by flaws in the model atmosphere’s starting state or dynamics.
“In order to increase the competence of weather forecasts, each component of the numerical weather prediction model must function effectively with the other components in a synergistic manner,” adds Olson, “particularly for wind speeds in the turbine rotor layer (50-150 m above ground level).”
Greener energy
The team intends to show significant improvements in low-level wind forecasts by the end of the project. These upgraded components will be considered for inclusion in the next upgrade of NOAA’s existing hourly-updated forecast models, which are used by the National Weather Service, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Forest Service, and a variety of other agencies.
“Better wind forecasts have the potential to minimize the usage of expensive energy supplies like coal, as well as cut greenhouse gas emissions, which can help combat climate change,” says Olson.
The winds in the Columbia River Gorge may blow your hat off, but they could also save you money and enhance the quality of the air you breathe in the near future.
PSE: A leader in delivering clean, renewable energy
Puget Sound Energy is the largest renewable energy utility in the Pacific Northwest. In Washington, we own and operate three big wind farms: the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility in Kittitas County, the Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility in Columbia County, and the Lower Snake River Wind Facility in Garfield County, our third and largest wind farm.
Our three existing wind facilities generate up to 772 megawatts of electricity, enough to power over 165,000 homes, making us the country’s fourth-largest utility wind generator.
Who owns Oregon’s wind turbines?
Companies. The North American headquarters of Vestas, the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer as of 2009, are located in Portland. One of the largest wind farm operators, Iberdrola Renovables, has headquarters in Portland as well.
In Washington, how many wind turbines are there?
South of the Tri-Cities, the Horse Heaven Hills are a patchwork quilt of shrubs, bushes, and grasses ranging in height from a few inches to six feet.
“Laying down to stare into shrub-steppe is the finest way to see it….. Mike Ritter, a wildlife biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, described it as “as complicated as the rain forests on the Olympic Peninsula.”
Shrub-steppe still covers a large portion of Eastern Washington, but not nearly as much as it once did. It has dwindled from an estimated 10.4 million acres in the 19th century, rich with rare birds and creatures, to only 40 percent of that presently. For more than a century, farms and cities have been devouring the environment.
Wind turbines and solar panel farms are already threatening to encroach on Washington’s shrub-steppe, which is vital wildlife habitat. There are plenty of them. And the growth of alternative energy sources is causing an unexpected environmental clash between cleaner energy and the preservation of land as wildlife habitat, putting environmentalists against one another.
Resources for renewable energy
Governor Jay Inslee’s fight against global warming, which causes wildfires, acid rain, and heat waves that affect wildlife, the economy, and people’s health in Washington, includes wind and solar.
“We shouldn’t be forced to defend against green energy in order to meet our conservation goals…. When a commission committee was informed on the matter last September, Barbara Baker, a member of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, remarked, “It’s a no-win situation.”
“According to Inslee, there is no black-and-white answer. “That is something we must consider while making siting decisions.
How big is this new industry?
The Horse Heaven Hills are home to one of Washington’s proposed wind turbine installations. Many Tri-Citians are concerned that the project may obstruct their views of the ridges, as well as endangering the ferruginous hawks that soar overhead. Ferruginous hawks were categorized as endangered by the state government a few months ago.
The state’s solar panel and wind turbine farms are not listed in any official clearinghouse. This is due to the fact that renewable energy providers can apply for permits from either the state or the host county government. If a developer opts for the state option, the Energy Facilities Site Evaluation Council examines the application and gives recommendations to the governor, who will make the final decision. A spokesperson for Governor Jay Inslee said the governor does not comment on projects until he makes a decision.
Ritter’s work as a state biologist focuses on the impact of wind turbines and solar farms on birds and animals. He keeps an unofficial score on these projects by doing legwork and making phone calls to validate grapevine claims. There are 24 wind turbine farms in operation in Washington, with another 12 in the planning, permitting, or brainstorming stages. Meanwhile, the state has two operational solar panel farms and at least 38 more in the planning, permitting, or proposal stages.
How tall are the windmills in Oregon?
A proposed wind farm in Oregon might house the country’s tallest wind turbines, with blade tips reaching 650 feet in the air, more than 100 feet higher than Portland’s tallest building.
In Oregon, where are wind turbines manufactured?
The Shepherds Flat wind farm is being built near the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, United States. The 845MW project will be the world’s largest wind farm.
Shepherds Flat will surpass the current largest functioning wind farm in the United States, the 781.5MW Roscoe Wind Farm, once it is online.
The Shepherds Flat wind farm will produce 1,797 GWh per year. The $2 billion project is being developed in three phases. The first phase of construction began in May 2010 and is projected to be completed in 2012.
In Washington, who owns the wind farms?
The wind farm is the Atlanta-based firm’s first in the state of Washington. Under a 20-year contract, the project’s energy and accompanying energy credits will be sold to Puget Sound Energy. According to reports, the project went online in November.
How much wind energy is generated in Washington?
Washington is the nation’s leader in hydroelectric power generation, accounting for about a quarter of the country’s total hydroelectric generation in 2020.
47 After Texas and California, the state ranked third in the nation for utility-scale (greater than 1 megawatt) renewable generation from all sources in 2020, accounting for more than one-tenth of total U.S. renewable utility-scale power generation. 48,49 Hydroelectric power generated over nine-tenths of the state’s renewable energy, with wind and biomass accounting for the rest. 50 Biofuels for transportation and wood and solar energy for space and water heating are examples of renewable energy resources that are used directly. Wood is used to heat about 4% of Washington residences. 51 Renewable resources account for nearly 90% of Washington’s total energy production when biofuels and thermal energy are added to renewable electricity generation. 52
Wind power is the state’s second-largest source of renewable electricity generating. Every year since 2013, it has contributed more than 6% of Washington’s total power net generation. It will provide 8% of the state’s electricity in 2020. 53 The state’s first utility-scale wind project went online in 2001, and the state’s wind resources, notably in the Columbia Gorge, are still being developed. 54,55 Washington had around 3,400 megawatts of wind-powered capacity as of late 2021. 56 In southeastern Washington, the state’s largest wind farm is located along the Snake River. It was put into service in 2012 and has a capacity of 343 megawatts. 57
Biomass contributed for 1.2 percent of Washington’s net generation in 2020, or around 2.5 percent of the country’s total biomass net generation.
58 Wood and wood-derived fuels are the primary sources of biomass used to generate power in Washington, which covers nearly half of the state’s land area. 59,60 Washington also has two wood pellet factories with a total annual output capacity of around 90,000 tons. 61
Solar energy is used to generate a modest portion of Washington’s electricity. Almost all of it was generated by small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power projects, such as rooftop solar panels, in 2020. 62 A 0.5-megawatt solar array was installed at one of the state’s wind farms in 2007, but Washington’s first utility-scale solar PV project, and the state’s largest to date at 19 megawatts, was completed in 2018. 63 In Klickitat County, a 150-megawatt solar plant is under construction, with a projected completion date of 2022. 64 There have also been proposals for other huge solar farm projects. 65
Several biogas and biofuel initiatives are underway in Washington. Anaerobic digesters use methane captured from dairy cow feces to generate electricity. In Washington, at least eight dairy farms use anaerobic digesters to generate electricity. 66 In addition, the state has two biodiesel manufacturing plants, one of which is operational and the other of which is undergoing expansion. When completed, the state will be able to produce more than 150 million gallons of biodiesel per year, which is more than six times the amount consumed in Washington each year. 67,68 Washington produced less than 80 million gallons of biodiesel in 2019. Biodiesel must account for at least 20% of all diesel used in state agency vehicles, watercraft, and construction equipment, as well as 2% of all diesel sold in the state, according to state legislation. 69 In Washington, there are no commercial fuel ethanol producers. 70 The state, on the other hand, mandates the use of oxygenated motor gasoline combined with ethanol. 71
Although geothermal energy is not used to create power in Washington, it does supply heat. Geothermal energy is used to heat buildings, greenhouses, and water in the state. Several natural hot and mineral spring spas in Washington use their hot waters to heat their facilities. 72
The Energy Independence Act of 2006 established a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) as well as an energy efficiency resource standard in Washington (EERS). By 2020, utilities with at least 25,000 retail customers must get at least 15% of their electricity from certified new renewable resources, according to the law. To achieve the standard, utilities may use eligible renewable resources or renewable energy credits. 73 The state’s EERS mandates that utilities implement cost-effective, dependable, and practical energy saving measures. 74 The Clean Energy Transformation Act, signed into law in 2019, revised Washington’s RPS (CETA). By 2025, utilities must phase out coal-fired electricity from their energy mix, and by 2030, all of their electrical supply must be carbon neutral. By 2045, all electricity sold to in-state customers must be generated from renewable or non-emitting sources. 75