Oregon Public Broadcasting

In the past three months, Oregon added more new wind power than almost every other state in the country.

Ethan Lindsey reports.

Texas was the only state that installed more wind turbines between July and September.

The American Wind Energy Association says Oregon’s new projects generate 251 megawatts of power.

Pat Shaw is the Gilliam County Judge. Her county recently got two big stimulus grants to generate more wind power.

Shaw says that's especially good news for rural Oregon.

Pat Shaw: “When you think of industrial plants, or anything that would make a county money, or jobs, or employment or businesses. It’s just hard to make happen here in the isolated rural areas. But renewable energy is here.”

Combined with an always-on source of power, like hydro dams or coal plants, 251 megawatts can power a city the size of Springfield.

According to the wind power industry, only four states generate more total wind power than Oregon.