DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – Texas relies heavily on natural gas, coal and nuclear power in the winter, but frozen wind turbines have drawn a lot of attention this week, and some mistakenly say renewable energy issues go being the main reason why jeans lost energy.
This is a problem Iowa has not faced, even with the very cold February temperatures.
MidAmerican Energy Company operates more than 3,300 wind turbines throughout Iowa. A company spokesman told TV9 that the main difference between Iowa and Texas is preparation.
“When we order our wind turbines, we add cold weather packages,” spokesman Geoff Greenwood said. “This includes heating elements, for example, inside the gearbox behind the turbines and that keeps some components warm and allows the turbines to run year-round, summer and winter.”
Greenwood said these cold weather kits allow turbines to produce energy up to about -20 degrees.
Because its goal is to provide clean wind energy year-round, Greenwood said they would also take preventative measures in the summer.
“We have wind turbine technicians going up there and we make sure everything is ready when it’s very cold,” he explained. “It’s a bit similar to what you would do when approaching winter with your car: you want to make sure there are antifreeze and the battery is working and the oil lubricant filters are taken care of.”
While he believes frozen wind turbines could have been prevented in Texas, Greenwood said coverage conditions in Lone Star state did not help.
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