Wind farm tour energizes ASME Idaho section

Benedict Bahner
ASME News Online

More than 200 people — primarily ASME members and their families — took part in a wind farm tour last summer that was sponsored by the ASME Idaho Section. That's an impressive turnout, particularly when you consider that the section usually averages about 225 members.

Natural curiosity about the wind farm was a major factor in attracting such a sizable crowd for the tour. The Wolverine Creek Wind Farm, located just outside of Idaho Falls, consists of 43 wind turbines, each standing more than 250 feet high. The turbines, built by Chicago-based Invenergy, can produce a total of up to 64 megawatts of power.

More than 200 people took part in the Idaho Section's tour of the Wolverine Creek Wind Farm last June.

Leading up to the visit, "We could all see the towers going up over the course of a few months' time," said Steve Reese, chair of the ASME Idaho Section and the organizer of the visit to the wind farm. "It was a new feature in the Idaho Falls area that many people were curious about."

In addition, Reese said the tour was a natural fit for a section activity because wind power was a technology that would likely be of interest to section members.

"Members were able to get an up-close look at an interesting new technology and hear about the technical details of these particular wind turbines — as well as how they were constructed and erected," Reese said. "I think there is some excitement about seeing an emission-free source of electricity being put into practical application."

Each of the wind farm's 43 wind turbines is more than 250 feet high.

Conversely, Reese said some area residents were concerned about the wind farm's aesthetic impact on the otherwise bucolic farming and ranching area near Idaho Falls. He said he personally hadn't heard much criticism of the project since its startup. And while he doesn't mind the wind turbines becoming part of the landscape, he acknowledges that his opinion would likely change if too many wind turbines began cropping up along the horizon.

The success of the Wolverine Creek tour has encouraged Reese to ramp up the scheduling of additional section activities. The section held a tour of Diversified Metal Products, a specialty metal fabrication shop in Idaho Falls, last October. And the section will be hosting a tour of specialty microchip manufacturer AMI Semiconductor Inc. in Pocatello next month. The section is also planning an ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code training class to be held later this spring.

Activities like this give section members "a chance to find out about some of the technologically interesting facilities in their area. Engineers are naturally curious beasts, and we do our best to provide a look behind the curtain at some of the technology at work in our community," Reese said.

To find out more about Idaho Section member activities, contact Steve Reese at reeses@asme.org. For help publicizing your section events, contact Marina Stenos, ASME Public Awareness, (212) 591-8614, e-mail stenosm@asme.org.

back to news & features