Powering Up with Wind
Wind farms in the northeast section of Sherman County serve as an additional economic driver. Here on the cusp (a pointed end where two curves meet), between the hot desert lands to the east and the cool moist intermountain valley and ocean to the west, there are ample winds for power generation.
Wind fuels the 321-megawatt Klondike Wind Farm located four miles southeast of Wasco, as well as the 450-megawatt Biglow Canyon Wind Farm just to the north. The first three phases of the Klondike project, owned by Iberdrola Renewables, use 44 Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbines and 146 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines. These wind farms supply clean, renewable electricity to Portland General Electric, Bonneville Power Administration, Eugene Water & Electric Board, and other power companies regionwide. The Biglow Canyon project, owned by PGE, is one of the largest wind farms in all of the Western United States.
Harvesting a clean, renewable source of energy helps meet the Northwest’s demand for cost-competitive electric power while benefiting our rural economies. The American Wind Energy Association estimates that each megawatt of wind power provides enough energy to light up 300 average American homes each year. Local communities benefit from jobs, property taxes from wind farm owners, annual lease payments to property owners, energy supply security, and tourist appeal.
Modern wind turbines stand about 400 feet high from the bottom of the tower to the tip of the highest blade.