Wind Power News: Oklahoma
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Blade from wind turbine falls into Oklahoma man’s cornfield
ENID, Okla. – Nearly two months after a blade broke off a turbine at an Enid farm, investigators are still investigating the root cause of the incident. In late May, a blade broke off a wind turbine on Breckinridge Road and flew into a 160 acre cornfield owned by Ken Carpenter. He tells Newschannel 4 it’s something he was surprised to discover in his own backyard. “The turbine sits in the cornfield, but the blade broke off and flew about 100 . . .
Breckinridge Road wind turbine repair completed
A wind turbine that had a blade break off and fly into a cornfield east of Enid in early June has been repaired and is running again, but cause of the blade failure still is under investigation. The damaged turbine had the broken blade replaced, and operation of it resumed Friday, said NextEra Energy spokesman Bryan Garner. General Electric, the manufacturer of the turbines and turbine blades at the Enid area wind farm, now has the damaged blade and is . . .
Are four wind-turbine failures in five weeks too many for NextEra Energy?
The business of wind generation is less than breezy these days for clean-energy producer NextEra Energy Resources. In Saginaw County, Mich., in late June, a blade on a 160-ft turbine snapped and was left dangling from its rotor (ENR 7/10 p. 4). The turbine is one of 75 at the 120-megawatt Tuscola Bay Wind Energy Center. Earlier in June at the Steele Flats wind farm in Nebraska, one of 44 turbines collapsed. On June 5, a 2.5-megawatt turbine at the . . .
Wind farms jeopardize military flight training, agency chief says
OKLAHOMA CITY – The head of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission said the proliferation of wind farms in western Oklahoma is having a negative impact on military flight training. A bill that would have required wind farms to seek permits through the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission was put on hold last session in a legislative conference committee, but at least two state lawmakers have requested interim studies on the issue. Victor Bird, Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission director, said some wind farms located near Vance . . .
Causes of turbine failures remain a mystery
NextEra Energy, owner of the Steele Flats wind farm in southern Nebraska, has suffered at least four wind turbine calamities in recent weeks, including broken blades, a fire and a collapse. Steven Stengel, a spokesman for the Juno Beach, Florida-based energy company, said the incidents are under investigation in cooperation with the turbine manufacturers, but it could be weeks or months before they figure out causes. No injuries were reported because of the failures. “We have roughly 10,000 wind turbines . . .
Report shows President Trump made money from OK wind farms
Several energy companies with Oklahoma ties, including wind power companies, helped President Donald Trump amass $1.4 billion in wealth, according to a newly released record of his finances by the Office of Government Ethics. Among the companies listed in the report were Halliburton, Phillips 66, Exxon Mobile, General Electric, Burlington Santa Fe Railroad and NextEra. The report showed the money collected was made through investments, interest or dividends. In all, Trump made between $97,009 and $245,000 from the companies. Perhaps . . .
Experimental wind turbine near Hooker collapses
No details have been released yet as to what caused a wind turbine to collapse Monday afternoon east of Hooker, Okla. The turbine, which is owned by Tri-County-Electric Cooperative, was under research and development by Barber Wind. A post on Tri-County’s Facebook page said the situation is being assessed and evaluated at this time. “We are not able to release any additional details,” the post said. Officials with TCEC could not be reached as of press time for more information.
GE blade breaks in Oklahoma; NextEra investigating failure of 1.7MW XLE turbine at 98MW wind farm
US developer NextEra Energy Resources is investigating after a blade broke off a GE turbine this week at the 98.1MW Breckinridge wind farm in Oklahoma. NextEra turbine monitors noticed the unit was not operating normally and went offline about 10pm on 31 May, spokesperson Bryan Garner told reNEWS. No one was injured in the incident. “Blade failures are very rare,” said Garner. “We believe this was an isolated equipment issue, but we are inspecting each of the turbines at the . . .
Blade breaks off wind turbine east of Enid
A destroyed wind turbine blade now sits in the middle of a corn field about 10 miles east of Enid. “We’ve never had a catastrophic blade failure like that,” said Jeff McIntyre, regional wind site manager of NextEra Energy, which is the company that runs the wind farm near the intersection of Breckinridge Road and North 126th. The blade broke off the turbine sometime Wednesday night, but the cause still is under investigation, McIntyre said. The investigation could take several . . .
Wind industry calls Oklahoma marketplace ‘uncertain’ as end of incentive approaches
Oklahoma’s burgeoning wind energy capacity was accompanied by the swelling cost of the state subsidies that encouraged the industry’s growth. That accommodating competitive environment seems to be changing rapidly. For turbines that come on line after July 1, a key subsidy – the zero-emissions facilities tax credit – won’t be available. Its disappearance has caused some in the wind industry to tell the World that Oklahoma is creating an “uncertain” competitive and regulatory climate. Yet, the industry itself agreed that the zero . . .
