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.
The Howden Wind Turbine Theme Song—“Turn em On, Let em Run”
By
Paul Gipe
The Great California Wind Rush was the Wild West of wind energy. So it’s fitting that one of the songs …
Denmark’s Energy Museum Loses Funding—Will Close
By
Paul Gipe
Denmark’s Energimuseet (the Energy Museum), a “must see” for anyone working in the energy field, especially those of us in …
Betz’s “Wind-Energy and its use by Windmills” 1926
By
Paul Gipe
Down the rabbit hole again. I got a request for a paper by German physicist Albert Betz that I didn’t …
Austrian was First with Wind-Electric Turbine Not Byth or de Goyon
By
Paul Gipe
The first person to generate electricity with a wind turbine was neither Scottish nor French as was previously believed. He …
Kicking Iron in the San Gorgonio Pass–Palm Springs Windmill Tours
By
Paul Gipe
When my family reunion took place in Palm Springs a few weeks ago, I gave Tom Spiglanin a call. No …
Backstories of the Palm Springs Windmills—a Review
By
Paul Gipe
Backstories of the Palm Springs Windmills by Thomas Spiglanin is a beautifully illustrated guide to the wind farms of the …
