Wind Turbine

Immortalized in the helicopter chase in the movie Mission Impossible III starring Tom Cruise, the Palm Springs windmills are an increasingly popular alternative source of energy. Wind turbine generators are a type of windmill that produces electricity by harnessing the wind. They require average wind speeds of at least 21 km/h (13 mph). The largest of these windmills stands 328 feet tall with blades half the length of an American football field (150 feet). The compartments at the top containing the generator, hub and gearbox weigh 30,000 to 45,000 pounds.