Baja Harnessing Wind

Baja harnessing wind...

LA RUMOROSA, Mexico — This small mountain community near the U.S. border got its name from the sound of wind whispering through rock and pine. Now for the first time, the wind is being transformed into energy as it blows through five giant turbines just outside town.

With its formal launching weeks away, the $26.2 million state-owned project marks the modest start of a major push to turn this sparsely populated area of Baja California into an important center for wind-energy production, both for domestic consumption and for export to the United States.

At least two San Diego County-based companies, Sempra Energy and Cannon Power Group, are planning large projects along the north-south wind corridor that runs along the ridgeline of the Sierra Juarez, a mountainous region between Tecate and Mexicali known for its strong and steady winds.

More on Baja harnessing wind.