A Look Inside First Wind's Control Center

To most people, the operation of a wind farm is a complete mystery – even as more wind turbines pop up in our communities around the United States. This allows wind opponents to make the claims that wind energy "doesn’t work."

Now, First Wind (full disclosure – a client of mine) is pulling back the curtain with a new video that demonstrates that wind farms are in fact producing real power. What’s more, there’s a very sophisticated flow of data and analysis that goes into making wind energy production efficient, with centralized monitoring and troubleshooting.

What I find most interesting about wind project operations is the technology that goes into the process. When people talk about making America more competitive economically through leadership in clean energy, it’s this technology that’s really the backbone of the argument. The new technology being developed to wean ourselves off fossil fuels may ultimately be put to use in other sectors of the economy, helping make a stronger economic foundation for the country, and spurring additional innovation.