L i g h t P l a n e Wor l d
GE 1.6MW turbines of the Pioneer Trail Wind Farm near Paxton, Illinois.
Wind Turbines
and Light Aircraft
A tricky combination
By Dan Grunloh
The United States had 45,100 wind turbines in place
as of December 2012 according to the American Wind
Energy Association, and we are expected to add about
1,000 more large turbines per year for the next five
years. About 3.5 percent of U.S. electricity comes from
wind, and some experts predict that number could
easily double. The Wind Energy Association's longterm goal of 20 percent from wind seems a long way
off, though five states are above 10 percent, and two
states, Iowa and North Dakota, already get more than
20 percent of their electricity from wind. Wind turbines
may help to diversify our energy sources, but they are a
hazard to aviation. They can prevent you from flying or
even close down your airport.
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The U.S. Department of Energy provides an 80-meterhigh wind resource map for the United States, with
links to individual state wind maps. Any area with more
than a 6.5 m/s (14.5 mph) annual average wind speed
may have potential for wind energy development. The
western states have plenty of wind, but vast areas lack
sufficient electric grid for wider distribution. Texas and
California are our top producers, but states in the upper
Midwest including Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota are
gaining rapidly. The area of red coloration on the wind
map located in northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois
(where I live) is the primary area east of the Mississippi
suitable for large-scale wind farms. They are popping
up here as fast as they can be erected.