The half-dozen owner/operators of 5,400 wind turbines in the Altamont Wind Farm east of Livermore, Calif., have been given 13 years by Alameda County supervisors to repower using bird-friendly technology at one of the oldest, largest and deadliest wind farms in the world.
"Its a win-win," says Felicia Sara Moore-Jordan, a supervisors aide who explained the requirement to phase in taller, more efficient machines as a prerequisite for continuation of a conditional-use permit at a cost to operators estimated by the board at about $540 million. Operators also must shut down 2% of the deadliest turbines as determined by a 2004 California Energy Commission study, remove "derelict" non-operating turbines and perform phased-in seasonal shutdowns during the winter when the wind power is the lowest and the most birds are flying through the hills. Operators testified that the last two actions would reduce wind production by 9% and cost them $3.7 million.