mountaineer wind energy center

We have been skiing Canaan Valley and Snowshoe for years, and own a timeshare at Land of Canaan.There is always time to explore nearby West Virginia and Maryland.The Mountaineer Wind Energy Center was established in 2000, and seems to keep growing.Mapquest suggests driving SR 50 to Thomas; however, 50 is a mountain road with curves, steep grades, and very problematic in snow, sleet, and ice.We prefer I – 79 to 33 to 32 to arrive at Canaan Valley. It is always a thrill to see the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center from 33 west of Elkins.From Canaan drive north to Davis and then to Thomas. One will be in the center of the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center at the Fairfax Stone.In the 1980’s we were astounded with the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm, a wind farm located on the eastern slope of the San Gorgonio Pass in Riverside County, just east of White Water, California, United States. So naturally we were pleased to explore the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center.The wind turbines generate electricity like that produced at any other power plant, except that they do so without emitting air pollutants. The wind plants offset the emission of millions of pounds of sulfur oxydes, nitrogen oxydes, and particulates that otherwise would be produced by relatively clean burning natural gas. They also offset nearly a billion pounds of greenhouse gases each year.

I travel the state of WV on a weekly basis and have seen these windmills many times but they are always far off the beaten path. On 219 South toward Parsons, you can get extremely close. It was interesting to realize the magnitude of their size and span. Nothing really to do, but if the windmills interest you in general (as they did me), it was worth a quick stop. This is not necessarily a "destination" in my book, yet something to take in along the way.

This is just a great brief stop, you can get incredibly close to one of these giant turbines and hear it "whomp whomp" around and around....there is a nearby rest stop to picnic or pee...Children are mesmerized by the propellers..We stopped here to eat our Hellbender Burritos for up the road in Davis. Another tidbit of knowledge is that the turbines stretch Backbone Mountain which, is where the highest peak in MD lies......another cool bit of knowledge is down in Summersville is the "lighthouse" that was created out of the base of one of these!....to stand by a working one, then climb up into the lighthouse is pretty neat!