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.

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Wind Power: a Danish Story-A review

By

Paul Gipe

This is a beautifully done DVD on the early days of the Danish wind industry. The film was produced by Jørgen Vestergaard in Danish with English subtitles and includes movie clips, photos, and interviews of Danish wind pioneers. . .

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Windgesichter (The Face of Wind Energy) a Review by Paul Gipe

By

Paul Gipe

Windgesichter: Aufbruch der Windenergie in Deutschland (The face of wind: Dawn of wind energy in Germany) by Jan Oelker is …

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Wind Power–The Danish Way

By

Paul Gipe

Wind Power The Danish Way: From Poul la Cour to Modern Wind Turbines is a book written by a who’s …

Wind powered factories: history (and future) of industrial windmills

By

Kris De Decker

One of the most spectacular developments of industrial wind power technology occurred in the Zaan district, a region situated just above Amsterdam in the Netherlands. . . From 1600 to 1750, when the Netherlands became an important economical power, around 1,000 windmills were built and operated here. . .

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Winds of Change: A comparative study of the politics of wind energy innovation in California and Denmark

By

Paul Gipe

Winds of Change by Rinie van Est is a masterly work of meticulous research that could well become a classic …

Les éoliennes multipales, progrès et tradition (French Multiblade Wind Pumps: Progress and Tradition)

By

Etienne Rogier

Extensive treatise on the development, manufacture, and use of multiblade, mechanical farm windmills in France during the 19th century.