Future wind turbines up to 450 feet tall could spark a shift to wind-generated electricity in Georgia and other states in the southeast, according to a federal study.
The U.S. Department of Energy said the giant wind towers could within a few years make locally-generated wind power economical for nine southeastern states, including Georgia.
Citing the U.S. Department of Energy's study, Georgia Power wants to investigate the potential for the super-sized wind turbines in multiple locations in the state for at least two years.
To harvest winds that are stronger at higher elevations, the towers would need to be up to 100 feet taller and have larger rotors than most wind turbines now used.
Currently, wind farms dot 39 states. Texas, California, Iowa, Illinois and Oregon are the top five wind power generators, according to the DOE.
Georgia Power’s proposal was included in the Atlanta utility’s 2016 Integrated Resource plan submitted in late January to state regulators.
The roughly 1,500-page plan projects how much power generating capacity Georgia Power needs to meet customer demand over the next 20 years, and what sorts of traditional or renewable power sources the company proposes to use.
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