A series of wind turbines stand in a graceful line at the Glenrock Wind Farm, which is run by Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp. Consisting of 158 turbines which each produce 1.5 Megawatts of power, the farm is capable of turning out 237 Megawatts, which is enough power for 66,800 average residential customers in a year.
While the wind farm itself is notable for its having been built in 2008 and 2009, and thus using the very latest turbine technology from General Electric, it is likely to be better known because of where it is. For decades, the site was the home of the Dave Johnston Mine, a highly productive coal mine, also run by Rocky Mountain Power.
But in 1999, reclamation efforts began on the mine, and in 2000 it produced its last coal. And until 2005, the land was the site of a massive cleanup initiative with the goal of returning the land to the way--or at least as close as possible--it was.
Because Rocky Mountain Power already owned the land, and because of its close proximity to existing transmission lines, as well as the strength of the wind in the area, the site was chosen to house the Glenrock, Rolling Hills, and Glenrock III wind farms, which collectively are called the Glenrock Wind Farm.
CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman visited the site as part of Road Trip 2009.
Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.
While the wind farm itself is notable for its having been built in 2008 and 2009, and thus using the very latest turbine technology from General Electric, it is likely to be better known because of where it is. For decades, the site was the home of the Dave Johnston Mine, a highly productive coal mine, also run by Rocky Mountain Power.
But in 1999, reclamation efforts began on the mine, and in 2000 it produced its last coal. And until 2005, the land was the site of a massive cleanup initiative with the goal of returning the land to the way--or at least as close as possible--it was.
Because Rocky Mountain Power already owned the land, and because of its close proximity to existing transmission lines, as well as the strength of the wind in the area, the site was chosen to house the Glenrock, Rolling Hills, and Glenrock III wind farms, which collectively are called the Glenrock Wind Farm.
CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman visited the site as part of Road Trip 2009.
Click here for the entire Road Trip 2009 package.
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