US Wind Farms Generating the Most Electricity

Like other wind farms across the country, the Twin Groves Wind Farm in eastern Illinois, west of Bloomington Indiana, is an economic engine for the local communities. Landowners receive lease payments of $5,000 per year for each turbine constructed on their property. There are 240 turbines on the farm.

In addition to avoiding millions of tons of carbon dioxide emission, wind generated power also conserves water, a particularly important contribution in the American West. The Panhandle Wind Farm, near Amarillo, Texas, conserves more than a billion gallons of water a year, equal to the amount of water needed by 20,000 people. It also claims to have brought many economic benefits to the community.

The 176 turbines of the Windy Point/Windy Flats wind farm are built high on a ridge along 26 miles of the Columbia River in Washington state, covering 90 acres. Completed in 2009 with a 400 MW capacity, it is the largest wind generating facility in the state.

Only 15 miles from downtown Abilene, Texas, Lone Star Wind Farm was completed in 2008 at a cost of $880 million. Its 200 turbines produce enough energy to power 120,000 homes, and the fossil fuel it has replaced is equivalent to taking 90,000 cars off the road.

The four phases of the Klondike Wind Farm were built between 2001 and 2008 along the Columbia River Gorge near the town of Wasco. Although the entire facility covers thousands of acres, only 2% of the land is actually taken out of service as farm and ranch land. The wind farm is also a testing ground for new technology, notably a 2.4 MW turbine from Japan with new safety features, including a resistance to lightning strikes.