New Power Plant? No Problem!

New Power Plant? No Problem!

Story Published: Aug 31, 2007 at 6:17 PM PST

By Aaron Kellogg

Watch the story
KITTITAS COUNTY -- Construction crews are setting up a new power plant here and many people living nearby aren't upset that it's practically in their back yard.

Don Shriner lives near Wild Horse Wind Farm, home to more than a hundred wind turbines. Now the farm's owner, Puget Sound Energy is setting up a solar farm.

"It's quiet and it's clean," Shriner said, talking about the facility. "Someone somewhere is getting that power and it makes me feel good."

The solar farm is not visible to many people living in Kittitas County, but high atop a ridge at the Wild Horse wind complex, Puget Sound workers are installing more than 2,000 panels. Each is about five feet wide and about as powerful as a small battery.

"These panels could be used individually for 12 volts," Alana Bobo, who's working on the project, said. "Or they will be put in a series (a string), so what you'll have is 14 panels with the positive going into the negative and so forth, until you get to the end."

If enough panels are put together, they can power a home. The setup at Wild Horse can provide electricity to about 300 homes, a far cry from the 55,000 homes the turbines power. Crews expect to finish construction later this fall.

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

On Demand

Resources and info you need to prepare for the switch to DTV.

Stay Connected