Fowler Ridge Wind Farm facts for kids
Imagine giant fans spinning in the wind, making electricity! That's what a wind farm is. The Fowler Ridge Wind Farm is one of these amazing places. It's located in Benton County, Indiana, close to a town called Fowler. This huge wind farm is about 90 kilometers (or 56 miles) northwest of Indianapolis. It helps power many homes and businesses using clean, renewable energy.
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What is a Wind Farm?
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines built in one place. These turbines work together to create electricity. Wind is a natural resource, meaning it's always there. This makes wind power a great way to get energy without using up limited resources like coal or gas.
How Do Wind Turbines Work?
Wind turbines are like giant propellers. When the wind blows, it pushes the blades of the turbine. This makes the blades spin. The spinning blades turn a shaft inside the turbine. This shaft is connected to a generator. The generator then turns the movement into electricity. This electricity travels through power lines to homes and schools.
Fowler Ridge Wind Farm: A Closer Look
The Fowler Ridge Wind Farm is a very large wind farm. It was built in two main parts, or "phases." This helped to get the whole project done over time.
Powering Homes with Wind
The Fowler Ridge Wind Farm can produce 600 MW of power. A megawatt is a huge amount of electricity! To give you an idea, 600 MW is enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes. This makes it one of the biggest wind farms in the United States.
When Was it Built?
The first part of the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm was finished in 2008. The second part was completed in 2010. So, it took a few years to build this massive energy project. Each phase added more turbines, increasing the total power it could make.
Why is Wind Energy Important?
Wind energy is a type of renewable energy. This means we won't run out of it. The wind will always blow! Using wind power also helps the environment. It doesn't create pollution like power plants that burn fossil fuels. This helps keep our air clean and reduces climate change. The Fowler Ridge Wind Farm is a great example of how we can use nature to power our lives in a clean way.
