Development of wind energy projects at sites with a proven wind resource is a key part of our strategy to meet the Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Based on wind project proposals we received through the 2005 request for proposals, NV Energy believes a number of potentially viable project sites have been identified, and we are aware of several additional promising sites that have been identified.
What is Wind Power?
Wind has been harnessed for hundreds of years. From old Holland to farms in the United States, windmills have been used for pumping water or grinding grain. Now, turbines can use the wind's energy to generate electricity.
Wind turbines, like windmills, are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At 100 feet (30 meters) or more above ground, they can take advantage of the faster and less turbulent wind. Turbines catch the wind's energy with their propeller-like blades. Usually, two or three blades are mounted on a shaft to form a rotor.
A blade acts much like an airplane wing. When the wind blows, a pocket of low-pressure air forms on the downwind side of the blade. The low-pressure air pocket then pulls the blade toward it, causing the rotor to turn. This is called lift. The force of the lift is actually much stronger than the wind's force against the front side of the blade, which is called drag. The combination of lift and drag causes the rotor to spin like a propeller, and the turning shaft spins a generator to make electricity.