Wind power in Montana
Encyclopedia
Wind power in Montana is a growing industry. At a nameplate capacity
of 210 megawatts (MW), the $500 million Glacier Wind Farm, which is located in Toole
and Glacier
counties, became Montana
's largest in October 2009, surpassing the 135 MW Judith Gap Wind Farm in Wheatland County.
Rim Rock Wind Farm is a proposed wind farm
about 25 miles due north of the Glacier project. The $800 million Rim Rock project will have 206 turbines generating 309 megawatts of power.
Nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...
of 210 megawatts (MW), the $500 million Glacier Wind Farm, which is located in Toole
Toole County, Montana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,267 people, 1,962 households, and 1,308 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile . There were 2,300 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
and Glacier
Glacier County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Glacier National Park * Lewis and Clark National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,247 people, 4,304 households, and 3,245 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 5,243 housing units...
counties, became Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
's largest in October 2009, surpassing the 135 MW Judith Gap Wind Farm in Wheatland County.
Rim Rock Wind Farm is a proposed wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
about 25 miles due north of the Glacier project. The $800 million Rim Rock project will have 206 turbines generating 309 megawatts of power.
See also
- Wind power in TexasWind power in TexasWind power in Texas consists of many wind farms with a total installed nameplate capacity of 10,223 MW from over 40 different projects. Texas produces the most wind power of any U.S. state, followed by Iowa with 3,708 MW...
- Wind power in the United StatesWind power in the United StatesAs of the third quarter of 2011, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power in the United States was 43,461 megawatts , making it second in the world, behind China. In 2010 wind power accounted for 2.3% of the electricity generated in the United States...