Colorado Has One of the Largest Wind Farms in the Nation
No doubt, you have run across one of Colorado's wind farms, but it's highly possible you have never seen the largest one, which is one of the biggest in the nation.
The Cedar Creek Wind Farm operates in northeast Colorado, and you aren't likely to drive past it accidentally as it is tucked away, off the beaten path and pretty much in the middle of nowhere.
But, when you see it you will be amazed at the number of windmills, or wind turbines as they are properly called, in operation. Nearly 400 wind turbines turn in the wind generating electricity for the state of Colorado. Some 74 miles of transmission lines are used to carry the electricity to the power plant, which in turn provides power to about 90,000 homes.
It is the coolest sight to look at the countryside and witness wind turbine after wind turbine as far as you can see.These things are huge.
The tallest wind turbines are 262 feet in height. To put it in perspective, if you laid one of these turbines down on a football field it would stretch from the goal line to the 13-yard line at the opposite end of the field. The rotors that spin around at the top are more than 250 feet in length from tip to tip.
As you might imagine, there tends to be a lot of wind around a wind farm. That's obviously why it was built in that location. Cedar Creek is the 12th largest wind farm in the United States.
Another large wind farm can be found in northeastern Colorado. The Peetz Table Wind Energy Center is located in Logan County and has 274 wind turbines.
The aim of these wind farms is to help Colorado generate 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. Next time you happen to drive past one of Colorado's wind farms, think about the awesome energy that is being generated by mother nature.