California’s newest wind turbines are the tallest in the state
(FOX40.COM) — New wind turbines installed in Northern California will generate enough power for thousands of homes and are gaining attention for being the tallest in the state.
The 19 turbines have begun spinning and are part of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, which serves the Sacramento area and has a goal of being carbon-free by 2030.
The new turbines are located west of Rio Vista, in an area with multiple wind energy facilities, along with farms and ranches.
SMUD hosted a news conference on Monday morning at the site to mark the activation of the 19 turbines, which are replacing 23 older turbines.
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Although there are four fewer, the new turbines increase the capacity of the facility, generating energy for 40,000 homes, according to SMUD.
The height of the new turbines, Vestas V150, is 590 ft., which is taller than the Bay Bridge and taller than two state Capitol buildings stacked atop each other, making them the tallest in California.
The utility’s entire Solano Wind Project generates more than three times the power generated by these new turbines.
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SMUD said that the size of the turbines, with a larger blade size and height increase, allows them to generate more electricity even when there is less wind.
As recently as early May, about 30% of the world’s electricity produced was from clean energy sources, according to a London think tank.
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