The Southwest Voice

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Feel the power.

It’s tough to appreciate the power of the wind when it’s tossing my hair into jumbled chaos and nearly blowing me over, but as I stare at a landscape that boasts 5,000 enormous turbines, I am humbled.

Tehachapi has the second largest collection of wind generators in the world, second only to Altamont Pass with 7,000 near the San Francisco Bay area (the third California wind farm, with 3,000 generators, is at San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs ). However, as far as energy output is concerned, the Tehachapi Wind Farm is the top producer in the world, generating 800 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to meet the needs of 350,000 residents every year.

There’s a lot of talk about global warming these days. It doesn’t matter what side of the political fence you’re on either. Whether you believe mankind has accelerated the pace of global warming, or that it is part of a natural cycle, there is general agreement that it is in fact happening. After visiting Tehachapi and marveling at their ability to harness the power of the wind, I wonder what these folks think of our country’s delayed handling of this issue. After all, when the energy crisis of the 1970s hit, Tehachapi jumped at the chance to find alternative forms of energy. Justifiably, they are very proud to be creating electricity in a way that doesn’t devastate the planet any further. According to the web site TehachapiCentral.com, the 5,000 wind plants “offset 1.1 billion pounds of greenhouse gases each year.”  That’s pretty good considering that wind power accounts for only 1% of California ’s electricity. Imagine what more of these pollution-free turbines could do.

My husband, Doug, used to live in the Tehachapi area and so we took a route familiar to him. Off Tehachapi Willow Springs Road, we hung a left on the newly paved Cameron Road. This took us closer to some of the turbines. The view is rather eerie in a Sci-Fi kind of way. Next to modest homes, grazing cows, and abandoned old cars, the silently turning blades of these sleek white turbines bring a space-age look to an area otherwise-known for its country charm and apple orchards. It was kind of bizarre.

Cameron Road led us right back to Hwy. 58 west to Bakersfield . On our way home, we took a side-trip through the town of Tehachapi to have lunch at the famous Apple Shed Restaurant. A combination gift shop/bakery/restaurant, this popular place has that simple country feel one expects from this lovely little town. As I enjoyed a piece of freshly baked apple pie, a train whizzed by, adding to that Little House on the Prairie ambience. 

Tehachapi is usually 15 degrees cooler than Bakersfield , so if you want to escape the heat, driving straight into the wind isn’t such a bad idea. Just don’t forget your hair brush.