INNOVATIVE WIND TURBINES TO TOP NEW DOWNTOWN PORTLAND H
08.13.2009
Portland's distinctive skyline has a dramatic addition.
By the end of today, the graceful blades of four 45-foot-tall wind turbines are expected to begin spinning above the glossy new Twelve West Building, one of a handful of urban high-rises nationally that capture wind for electricity. The project, built downtown at Southwest 12th Avenue and Washington Street by sustainability leader Gerding Edlen Development Co., already has piqued international interest.
No one claims the turbines will shrink Portland's carbon footprint. They will produce about 9,000 kilowatt hours yearly -- 1 percent of the building's electricity needs.
