Natural Resources & Energy

An inside look at harnessing the wind

Wyoming Public Radio | By Stephanie Joyce

Published October 4, 2013 at 7:30 AM MDT

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Tour group gathers in front of the High Plains Wind Farm

Stephanie Joyce

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The turbine tower is 265 feet tall. The speck of yellow is a winch for pulling equipment up the tower.

Stephanie Joyce

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Although some turbines have climb assists -- a device that pulls workers up the tower -- this one has only a ladder.

Stephanie Joyce

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People clutch hard hats in strong winds at the High Plains Wind Farm.

Stephanie Joyce

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The outer control panel has an emergency shutoff switch, among other things.

Stephanie Joyce

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Each turbine has its own computer, which controls blade speed, pitch and direction, among other things.

Stephanie Joyce

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It's hard to capture the size of turbines, but a dozen people can easily fit into the base of this one.

Stephanie Joyce

On a recent Saturday, about 50 people gathered in Laramie for a day-long renewable energy tour. Put on by Rocky Mountain Power, it included talks and presentations by industry and academics, but the highlight was a visit to the 66-turbine High Plains wind farm, near Rock River.

Wyoming Public Radio’s Stephanie Joyce joined the tour, and brings us this postcard from the inside of a wind turbine.