New wind turbines generate electricity on Portland bridge

(MAY 5, 2019) Portland's newest bridge also has a new source of electricity: wind.

TriMet is a regional transportation agency. It manages the Tilikum Crossing bridge, which is in downtown Portland. TriMet has placed 12 new wind turbines on the Tilikum Crossing bridge. Each wind turbine produces 1,000 watts of electricity per hour. Batteries store the electricity, and the electricity is used for lights.

The Tilikum Crossing Bridge opened in 2015. It is unique in the United States. It is used only for buses, trains, bikes, and pedestrians. No cars are allowed on this bridge.

"The Tilikum Crossing is a prime place for wind generating because of the location and the amount of wind that we get on the Willamette River," says TriMet Community Affairs Coordinator Coral Egnew. She says the turbines work all year. "If the wind stops blowing, the battery stores up the excess power."

This is a test project. Portland State University's Mechanical Engineering School will study the wind turbines. The information will be used in future transit projects.

In the United States, electricity comes from three major categories:

• The largest source of electricity in the United States is fossil fuels. These include coal, natural gas, and petroleum (oil). Natural gas provided 35% of electricity in 2018. Coal provided about 27% of electricity. Petroleum provided less than 1% of electricity in 2018.
• Another source of electricity is nuclear energy. It provided 19% of electricity in 2018.
• The remaining electricity comes from renewable energy resources. They provided 17% of electricity in 2018. These include hydropower (for example, dams on rivers); wind energy (such as the wind turbines on the bridge); and solar energy (from the sun).