In Oregon, Wind Power Surges Disrupting Grid

cpm99352 writes "The Oregonian reports gusts of wind cause synchronized power surges, more than the transmission lines can handle. Windmill farms are ordered to fan their blades, despite tremendous demand for 'green' power from California."

Fan the Blades?

[MagusSlurpy]

As in, "Sit in front of the turbines, flapping a big feather fan to generate more electricity?" Great idea!

Finally...

[Anonymous Coward]

Green energy is destroying things. Let's go back to burning things just to be safe.

Re:Store in a water tower

[Councilor Hart]

You want to pump water over what kind of distances? From holland to norway?

Re:From TFA, wind is fine.

[noidentity]

No, it is a grid designed for slow turn on/off generators (coal, oil, nuclear) being fed with fast turn on/off generators. It is like taking a truck off-road. A truck perfectly suitable for is normal job is not fit for purpose on un-metalled road.

So it's not like a truck that you can just dump power on, more like a system of tubes that might not be able to handle all that at once?

yes, that is the tragedy of the dutch

[circletimessquare]

so smart, but unable to do anything to do anything about it because they're stuck there with their fingers in a dyke

Re:From TFA, wind is fine.

[Ecuador]

Or an engineer saying "the antenna around the phone works... just don't touch it there"

Re:Store in a water tower

[russ1337]

You want to pump water over what kind of distances? From holland to norway?

no no no.... use wind power to create electricity locally and heat local water so it evaporates into clouds. Then blow those clouds over the lakes in Norway using really big fans. Then fire lasers at the clouds so it rains into those lakes to get the hydro electricity you need. Do I have to think of everything.... gosh.

Re:Store in a water tower

[Hognoxious]

A libertarian is an anarchist with a trust fund.