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.

PG&E Boeing Mod-2 Wind Turbine Removal Mark Haller
By
Paul Gipe
I had this video digitized for its historical content from a video cassette provided by Mark Haller from his collection …

Video of NedWind Turbines Spinning in Palm Springs May 2024
By
Paul Gipe
This is a 23 second video of NedWind wind turbines operating on the Whitewater Wash near Palm Springs, California in …

Wincon Wind Turbine Runaway San Gorgonio Pass Mark Haller
By
Paul Gipe
This is a nearly 30-minute video of a Danish Wincon wind turbine running away in the San Gorgonio Pass some …

Enertech E44 Wind Turbine Runaway SeaWest Altamont Pass
By
Paul Gipe
This is a 33-minute video of an Enertech E44 running in overspeed in the Altamont Pass in the late 1980s. …

More on Fayette Manufacturing and its One-Time Resurrection
By
Paul Gipe
While archiving articles I’d written for the American Wind Energy Association’s newsletter, Wind Energy Weekly, I came across this one about Fayette’s restructuring in 1990. At the time I was the west coast representative for AWEA in Tehachapi. There’s not a lot on my web site about Fayette. (I do mention them in my books and in articles on capacity factor and how this figure of merit can be so misleading.) Consequently, for historical reference I am posting the article with the original date that I submitted it to AWEA. See Fayette Reborn in Major Restructuring.

Set of Enertech 10-foot Long Blades for Sale
By
Paul Gipe
Robert Kroeger, a former Enertech sales representative, has a set of 10-foot long Gougeon blades probably for a 4 kW …
