Project Overview
Elkhorn Valley Wind Farm, which began commercial operation in the winter of 2007, spreads across the ridges of Pyles Canyon in Union County, Oregon. The site is primarily used for cattle ranching and was chosen for its plentiful, steady winds and access to high-voltage transmission lines. The nearest town is North Powder, Oregon, with a population of around 440 residents.
Energy Output
Elkhorn Valley Wind Farm has an installed capacity of 100.65 megawatts (MW). Elkhorn Valley's generation is equivalent to the consumption of more than 28,000 Oregon homes.
Benefits
Community
Elkhorn Valley Wind Farm yields significant economic benefits to the community in the form of payments to landowners, local spending, and annual community investment.
Elkhorn Valley represents a capital investment of approximately $221 million and has disbursed $4.8 million in cumulative payments to local governments through 2019. The project created 101 full-time equivalent jobs during construction as well as 16 permanent jobs. Through 2019, approximately $16.6 million has been spent within 50 miles of the wind farm.
Environment
Elkhorn Valley Wind Farm saves more than 178 million gallons of water each year and displaces carbon emissions from fossil fuel power plants, a major contributor to climate change. Wind energy also enhances air quality by helping to mitigate the health effects of harmful air pollutants.
Landowners
Elkhorn Valley Wind Farm is compatible with other land uses and provides a stable form of income to local landowners. More than $9 million has been paid to the wind farm’s landowners through 2019. These supportive landowners participate in long-term lease and easement agreements that cover turbines, access roads, and transmission corridors.
Technology
Turbines
Modern wind turbine generators are sophisticated, high-tech machines designed to capture the kinetic energy of the wind and convert it into electricity. A turbine’s blades capture the wind and rotate an internal shaft connected to a gearbox spinning a generator to produce electricity.
Elkhorn Valley Wind Farm consists of 61 Vestas V82 1.65 MW wind turbines.
Made in the USA
The vast majority of wind farm equipment is manufactured in the United States.
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