One of the big pushes in the past 5 years has been to develop wind power. Certainly, the area around the Columbia River Gorge and wheat fields of southeast Washington State and northeast Oregon have been prime locations. A number of windmills have been going up in these areas. Often, they are wind farms in name. There has been a lot of controversy over their use. Certainly, a number of business people and companies have lost a lot of money in this energy field. The windmills seem to be produced primarily in China and their lifespan may only be 20-25 years for all the money they cost us. They are striking though and if not too clustered, they do have a look about them. It is interesting to see them at night along the Gorge because they are set with red, blinking lights to determine their location for planes and helicopters (I would assume). It is like seeing a long line of Christmas lights in the sky.

Tags: Windmills, Columbia River