Francine Paino a.k.a. F. Della Notte
Texas has over 15,300 wind turbines, representing 28.6% of Texas energy generation. These turbines have surpassed the state’s nuclear production in 2014 and coal-fired production in 2020. Windfarms dot the landscape from north to south, with the majority of the windfarms operating in South Texas, along the Gulf Coast, south of Galveston, and in the mountain passes and ridge tops of the Trans-Pecos in western Texas.
Driving north and south from Corpus Christi to Austin on route 181 gave me a birds-eye view of them in action—in some places up close and almost personal. All the turbines I saw were of a three-blade variety, although there are some designs with two blades or circular blades. The three-blade type has the most blades turning like Don Quixote’s imaginary opponent where they all turn in tandem, locked into the same rhythm, going round and round, in the same positions.
Other turbines, however, mimic dance. Each blade moves independently of the other two, almost like the arm movements called port de bras in ballet, where one arm may move at a time. Over and over, the first blade arrives at a designated proximity to the next before the second blade moves. Then, that blade moves to a preordained location to the next before the third blade moves. And the process repeats, over and over. Mesmerized, I watched this dance of the windmill blades, but couldn’t select a piece of music in my head to accompany the movement. Instead, I turned to research. Why do some turbines move this way, unlike others in the same field where all the blades on each unit move at the same time? Here is the answer I found.
According to information on the National grid, it is normal for a wind turbine to have its blades not moving simultaneously. They are affected by wind speeds and direction variations, which cause “slight differences in the force acting on each blade, resulting in a non-perfectly synchronized movement.” However, the site warns, “If the blades are significantly out of sync or not rotating, it could indicate a potential issue requiring maintenance.”
And so, the blades do create the wind. It is the wind that turns the blades. Even a slight breeze of seven mph will move them. If the wind exceeds 56 mph, they are programmed to stop to avoid damage. Maximum efficiency is roughly 18 mph. The energy created by the blades is then sent through a gearbox to a generator. That’s where it’s converted to electrical power and sent to an onsite transformer, which “matches the voltage to the national grid system.” The electricity then moves along the transmission network to a substation, which links the transmission to a distribution system that sends it on and powers homes, businesses, and other users. A wonderfully efficient method of creating and harvesting wind power, but one cannot discuss wind turbines without including the danger they represent to birds.
It’s interesting that the national grid information and Climate Change enthusiasts dismiss the question of damage to birdlife, stating that more birds are killed by feral cats. Happily, the American Bird Conservatory takes a more balanced approach.
While it is true that feral cats kill more birds than wind turbines, the percentages of cats vs turbines are unequal, and so are the numbers that can be killed at once. Also, cats are not deadly to all species, as are the wind turbines, which are a direct danger to species approaching extinction, like the Marbled Murrelets, the Gold Eagles, and the Condors. Still, there is no malice either in the cats or the turbines. The Conservatory is also working on Bird-Smart Wind Energy. For more information, see the ABC link below.
So, while humans thrash about, mourn the loss of wildlife, and celebrate the growing potential for wind energy, these strange, soulless creatures possess an odd beauty and a consistency that can be haunting. I find them beautiful but unsettling, like strange beasts without thought or feeling. Although my fascination with wind turbines hasn’t yet resulted in a story, plenty are out there already.
On Amazon, novels involving wind turbines are led by C.J. Box’s Cold Wind, a Joe Picket murder mystery. The one that captured my attention is War of the Wind, by Victoria Williamson, a story for young readers involving a boy named Max, who wears hearing aids that pick up odd sounds from a new wind farm off the coast. He suspects a sinister scientist is using wind turbines to experiment on the islanders, whose behaviors are becoming bizarre. Max enlists the help of his classmates to shut down the government’s secret test before it spins out of control. The story sounds intriguing, and I’ve ordered it for my grandchildren, but I’ll read it first.
Wind turbines are here to stay and an important part of our efforts to provide more and cleaner energy. It’s a subject that enters everyone’s life and conversation, and perhaps wind turbines will appear in another Housekeeper Mystery Series. . but not yet.
At this time, Mrs. B. and Father Melvyn are sorting out crimes and murders with local and international repercussions while they prepare for their tour of ancient Christianity in Rome, Italy.
Coming soon: The Catastrophist and the Killing God War.
Https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/economic-data/energy/2023/wind-snap.php#:~:text=There%20are%20239%20wind%2Drelated,coal%2Dfired%20generation%20in%202020.In 2023, wind represented 28.6 percent of Texas energy generation, second to natural gas (41.8 percent).
https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-work
https://abcbirds.org/blog21/wind-turbines-are-threat-to-birds/
Austin Mystery Writers 