Harnessing Wind, More Efficiently

As temperatures rise, political pressure has grown to move the world toward clean energy. GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine, the first of which was raised this year, offers one piece of the puzzle. Each blade of the world’s largest offshore wind turbine stretches more than the length of a football field, and its height tops that of the Washington Monument. This is a significant advance: when it comes to offshore wind turbines, bigger often means better. With digital controls and other upgrades, it’s the most efficient in the industry, churning even when the wind is not strong enough to drive other turbines. Soon, GE expects it to enter service in the Northeast U.S. as well as across Europe, China and Japan. —Justin Worland