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

Power in the Wind 1932 Balaklava Wind Turbine Film

July 5, 2025

Paul Gipe

In 1932 British Pathé filmed a newsreel of the Soviet Union’s recently installed wind turbine at Balaklava near Yalta on …

Lassoing a Runaway Windmill

July 4, 2025

Paul Gipe

It was common knowledge on California wind farms in the 1980s that one way to stop the rotor from spinning out of control was to somehow get a rope tangled in the rotor. The rotor would then wind up the rope, wrapping it tightly around the main shaft, slowing the rotor if not stopping it. To get the rope into the rotor, it was necessary to shoot an arrow towards the rotor with a line attached. If successful, the spinning rotor would do the rest.

Wind: An Energy Alternative–Video Blast from the Past

June 29, 2025

Paul Gipe

This is an update of an article I first posted in 10 November 2018. It follows on a series of articles about historical films of wind turbines. In 1980 the Department of Energy published a short film titled Wind: An Energy Alternative. The 12-minute film was produced by the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) probably in 1979.