WindWorks—Electric Cooperative Wind Power
Blue Canyon Wind Farm, OK
Photos
Web Site/E-mail: www.wfec.com , m_daugherty@wfec.com
Directions: From the intersection of I-44 and OK 7 in Lawton , take I-44 North OK 49 West. Go 4 miles and turn onto OK 58 North. Go approximately 6.8 miles. Wind farm is on the left.
Access: Free. Tours by appointment.
GPS Coordinates: N34.85820, WO98.54752
Site Description: The 45 towers, each reaching 228 feet into the sky north of Lawton , OK produce enough energy to power more than 20,000 homes. Using energy from wind rather than through coal or petroleum has the environmental impact of planting 84,600 acres of trees. Each one of the towers is taller than the Empire State Building , and each blade on the turbine weighs 18 tons. The tips of the blades travel at 156 miles per hour, belying what appears to the lazy speed of the turbines if you're looking at the hub. Hills are ideal locations for wind farms, because wind coming up the face of an incline greatly increases its velocity as compared to wind blowing across a flat surface. Maintenance access to the nacelle at the top is possible only via a straight ladder inside the tower. A small porthole lets the extremely hardy and extremely brave climb out on top for repairs. Overlooking the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, the area is rich in scenic beauty and wildlife.
