California: Wind Farms Retrospective - Wind Power for the World: The Rise of Modern Wind Energy - page 516

or four spinning clockwise or counterclockwise or others
resembling an egg beater created a totally new spot for tourists
and for some—a new kind of income.
What happened there in the Golden State was a new and
unforgettable experience for everyone, in both respects. A rise is
often followed by a collapse, and so it happened in California. Since
there was no extension for tax credits, one of several incentives,
there was no rush for the future. By 1986 a harsh crisis over-
shadowed the young wind industry and many companies failed to
survive that crisis.
However, some companies managed to continue. And despite
a bad crisis, wind power has emerged to become a substantial
energy resource today. The industry is still growing worldwide,
and obviously people have learned from the Californian lessons.
Thus, it is worth to have a closer look at that phenomenon.
This article is supposed to give an impression of what is
generally referred to as the “Californian wind farms”. A retrospective
of the 1980s is dealt with in detail followed by an overview of the
situation 25 years later.
The experiences and the know-how gained at the wind power
industry's largest test field had a deep impact on the whole
development that followed until today. Thus, when talking about
wind power, it is essential to know something about California.

23.2 Historical Development

23.2.1 The 1970s US Wind Activities and Background
of the Late 1970s for the Californian Case

In the 1970s the foundation for a far-reaching wind development
was set. The 1973/74 oil crisis led to a global shock, and
alternative ways of producing energy were researched. Denmark
was one of the leading countries to initiate its own wind energy
development. The private sector in Denmark was the motor for
making the country a synonym of modern wind energy utilisation.
Parallel to Denmark, the United States was the second country in
the 1970s to start wind energy research on a large scale. In 1974,
the Federal Wind Energy Program kicked of. This was the largest
research program for wind energy in the whole decade. The