Wind Power Timeline

	500-900 AD	The first windmills were developed in Persia for pumping water and grinding grain.

	about 1300	The first horizontal-axis windmills (like a pinwheel) appeared in Western Europe.

	late 1880s	The development of steel blades made windmills more efficient. Six million windmills sprung up across America as settlers moved west.

	1888	Charles F. Brush used the first large windmill to generate electricity in Cleveland, Ohio. The windmill starts to be called "wind turbine." In later years, General Electric acquired Brush's company, Brush Electric Co.

	1941	On a hilltop in Rutland, Vermont, "Grandpa's Knob" wind turbine supplied power to the local community for several months during World War II.

	1973	The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) oil embargo caused the prices of oil to rise sharply. High oil prices increased interest in other energy sources, such as wind energy.

	1974	In response to the oil crisis, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) developed a two-bladed wind turbine at the Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Unfortunately, the design did not include a "teetering hub"- a feature very important for a two-bladed turbine to function properly.

	1977-1981	New types of two-bladed turbines (MOD-0, MOD-1, MOD-2) were developed and tested. The first wind turbine rated over 1 megawatt (MOD-1), began operating in 1979.The MOD-1, had a 2-megawatt capacity rating. The improved design of the MOD-2s included a "teetering hub." The MOD-2s operated for several years on the Columbia River, and could each power up to 630 households for a year.

	1978	The Department of Energy's (DOE) budget for wind power research in 1978 was $59.6 million. This was the first time that the budget was more than $50 million. The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) required utility companies to buy a percentage of their electricity from non-utility power producers. PURPA has been an effective way of encouraging the use of renewable energy.

	1980	The Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act further increased tax credits for businesses using renewable energy. The Federal tax credit for wind energy reached 25% and rewarded businesses choosing to use renewable energy.

	1983	Because of a need for more electricity, California utilities contracted with facilities that qualified under PURPA to generate electricity independently. The price set in these contracts was based on the costs saved by not building the planned coal plants.

	1985	Many wind turbines were installed in California in the early 1980s to help meet growing electricity needs and take advantage of incentives. By 1985, California wind capacity exceeded 1,000 megawatt, enough power to supply 250,000 homes. These wind turbines were very inefficient.

	1988	Many of the hastily installed turbines of the early 1980s were removed and later replaced with more reliable models.

	1989	Throughout the 1980s, DOE funding for wind power research and development declined, reaching its low point in fiscal year 1989.

	1990	More than 2,200 megawatts of wind energy capacity was installed in California--more than half of the world' s capacity at the time.

	1992	Energy Policy Act - The Act reformed the Public Utility Holding Company Act and many other laws dealing with the electric utility industry. It also authorized a production tax credit of 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour for wind-generated electricity.

	1993	U.S. Windpower developed one of the first commercially available variable-speed wind turbines, the 33M-VS, over a period of 5 years. The final prototype tests were completed in 1992. The $20 million project was funded mostly by U.S. Windpower, but also involved Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Pacific Gas & Electric, and Niagara Mohawk Power Company.

	1995	Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) prohibition on QF contracts above avoided cost was implemented. In a ruling against the California Public Utility Commission, FERC refused to allow a bidding procedure that would have the effect of allowing rates above avoided cost from renewable Qfs. The DOE wind program lowered technology costs. DOE’s advanced turbine program, funded at $49 million, has led to new turbines with energy costs of 5 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity generated.

	Mid-1990s	Standard Offer Number 4 contract rollovers in California led to lower rates being paid to the Qualifying Facilities (QF). The ten-year QF contracts written during the mid-1980s (at rates of 6 cents per kilowatt hour and higher) began rolling over at mid-1990s to match the avoided costs (about 3 cents per kilowatt hour). This "11th-year cliff" created financial hardships for most QFs on these contracts. Kenetech, the producer of most of the US-made wind generators, faced financial difficulties and sold off most of its assets and stopped making wind generators.

	1999-2000	Installed capacity of wind-powered electricity generating equipment exceeded 2,500 megawatts. Contracts for new wind farms continued to be signed.

	2005	The Energy Policy Act of 2005 strengthened incentives for wind and other renewable energy sources.

Last Revised: September 2005