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.
Mystery Wind Turbines of the Salinas Valley Wind Rush–Solved
By
Paul Gipe
During the heyday of the Great California Wind Rush in the early to mid 1980s, there were a handful of …
Smith-Putnam Operating Hours and Generation
By
Paul Gipe
“The turbine ran until March 26 when it threw a blade at 3.10 am. During this time it generated 61,780 …
Wind Power Plants and Wind Farms Definitions
By
Paul Gipe
In recent correspondence with colleagues, I noted the unfortunate reoccurrence of the term “wind parks” to describe wind farms or …
Philippe Bruyerre’s Retrofutur: une autre histoire des machines à vents–a Review
By
Paul Gipe
Eclectic. That’s the word that comes to mind when describing Philippe Brueyerre’s Retrofutur: une autre histoire des machines à vents. …
Transpower—the Flying Clothesline from the Early 1980s
By
Paul Gipe
Transpower was another of those companies that thought they had a bright idea about how to harness wind energy in …
WTG Energy Systems’ MP-200 (1975-1982)
By
Paul Gipe
Who remembers WTG Energy Systems and its developer Alan Spaulding? I’d certainly forgotten about him and his wind turbine until …
