He also said standard practice in the industry called for turbines to be spaced 2000 feet away from any occupied structures. Other safety features include a liquid cooling system for the generator, lightning protection, and a three-tiered process to prevent the blades from turning too fast or shredding under extreme conditions of wind and ice. The turbines, designed to withstand 140 mph winds, also shut themselves off to minimize gear damage when wind speed reaches 60 mph or more. After the technical explanation of the turbines and wind farms, Haley presented the reasons he believes the time is right for wind energy development in North Dakota. Today, it s less than three cents per kilowatt hour.
Wind energy is the cheapest form of new energy generation.
Haley shared other data showing why wind energy is favored for development in North Dakota. Wind turbines are essentially pollution-free, except for the manufacturing process. Most importantly, North Dakota is the windiest state in the nation. Our worst locations are better than most states best places. But some sites are better than others.