History of Wind Power

News & Articles on History of Wind Power

This page was prompted by a technical question about early electricity-generating wind turbines in the United States. The question followed a similar question about “who was the first” to interconnect a wind turbine with an electricity network. There is a lot of confusion internationally about both subjects.

The history of wind energy is a broad subject and many have written about it. I’ve pulled together a list of sources, books, links, and museums that I know about. This list is far from comprehensive. If anyone wants to add to this list or edit this list, please do so.

A number of the entries below are reviews I’ve written of books that include the history of wind energy. The original book can usually be reached from the review. Other news items are relevant to the history of wind turbine development.

History of Wind Power -Smith-Putnam – in North America – Internationally – Museums with Wind Exhibits – North American Open-Air Museums – European Open-Air Museums – Other Open-Air Museums

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Pintles, Kingpins, & Slewing Rings: The Evolution of Yaw

September 19, 2025

Paul Gipe

While researching material for an article on the 100 kW Soviet wind turbine at Balaklava, Etienne Rogier sent me an …

Testing the Dowsett Wind Turbine on the Isle of Man in the 1960s

September 2, 2025

Paul Gipe

Were there two wind turbines tested on South Barrule on the Isle of Man in the early 1960s, not just …

Wind energy comes of age front cover horzontal crop

The Book Wind Energy Comes of Age Put in the Public Domain

August 14, 2025

Paul Gipe

Thirty years after its publication by John Wiley & Sons, I’ve put Wind Energy Comes of Age in the public domain. The digital copy of the more than 500-page book is now open access and is available for reading on line or it can be downloaded in its entirety for free. You can find the open access digital version here: Wind energy comes of age by Paul Gipe. Print copies can still be found at used bookstores or in university libraries.