Alternative Energy: Wind Power Booming Near Tehachapi

TEHACHAPI, Calif. -- The Tehachapi Wind Farm is one of three major wind farms in California and you might not notice it, but there are subtle changes taking place.

There are certainly some changes, subtle changes, taking place up east of Tehachapi these days as it's out with the old and in with new. And the demand for renewable energy means more wind energy in Kern County.

At Oak Creek Energy east of Tehachapi you can hear the power being generated and more is on its way.

"We're very fortunate that we're getting the new transmission line in order for us to grow an additional 4,500 megawatts," said Linda Parker, Executive Director of the Kern Wind Energy Association. "Which for Kern County is astronomical ... we're becoming one of the leaders of renewable energy and that is through wind generation."

From atop the mountains just east of Tehachapi you can see the Mojave Desert, as well as the 3,500 wind turbines that dot the area and that's actually down from the 5,500 that were originally there. That may not sound right, that while this industry is growing the number of turbines are actually decreasing, but that's because the technology is getting better.

"The turbines that were standard size in the year 2000 are now considered kind of small and the new one's are in the order of being four times bigger," said Jim Duggan of Oak Creek Energy.

Big being the operative word, in 1982 turbines were less than 100 feet tall and produced about 40 watts of electricity. By 2010 they'll be 300 feet tall with a 500-foot diameter producing 4.5 megawatts of energy.

"When you get back from them, yeah they look big but you just have no real concept as to how big they are," Duggan said.

Another big part of the wind energy boom is the economic impact.

"Once we grow 4,500 megawatts, the Kern County general fund will see an increase of approximately $26 million into the general fund," Parker said. "So the impact we will have on the tax base for the kern county area will be significant."