# Looking for info on old wind turbines(?) in the Mojave

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-old-wind-turbines-in-the-mojave/1026832>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 20, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-old-wind-turbines-in-the-mojave/1026832 "2026-01-20T00:13:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-old-wind-turbines-in-the-mojave/1026832/1 "2026-01-20T00:13:56Z")

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I came across these along Redrock-Randsburg Road (I think) more than 20 years ago, I can’t find anything about them online. Do we have any wind turbine experts/historians in the house?

[![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczMyMD3adgKz_z76CIa1hP2fewwszL8AnLdpQHm8VDKNvqpNnjm8DtrQ0N_czskSh5OMe3wm1ODW6bMqKgdT9sl2rb9VqR2AwxZ3OrLQz6oPMpzHbEJsiB-gwz-7VIcPdEozVEH1D_H8bpBq9M3KtpioEA=w1920-h777-s-no?authuser=0) ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczMyMD3adgKz_z76CIa1hP2fewwszL8AnLdpQHm8VDKNvqpNnjm8DtrQ0N_czskSh5OMe3wm1ODW6bMqKgdT9sl2rb9VqR2AwxZ3OrLQz6oPMpzHbEJsiB-gwz-7VIcPdEozVEH1D_H8bpBq9M3KtpioEA=w1920-h777-s-no?authuser=0)

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-old-wind-turbines-in-the-mojave/1026832/2 "2026-01-20T00:28:51Z")

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I have asked the expert/explorer/historian in the ‘You know you’re from the A.V. when…’ Facebook group if he has any insight. The page is for the Antelope Valley, but he gets around.

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-old-wind-turbines-in-the-mojave/1026832/3 "2026-02-19T06:24:04Z")

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I’m not familiar with the area, but the Tehachapi Pass is now home to the Mojave Windfarm.

The turbines pictured are an old idea designed to get the most out of low-speed wind close to the ground. I never heard of a true commercial development like that, so I’m guessing a research project, or at best a speculative blue-sky prototype development implemented to extract money from speculative blue-sky investors.

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**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-old-wind-turbines-in-the-mojave/1026832/4 "2026-02-19T17:20:45Z")

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> [@Melbourne](#):
>
> old idea designed to get the most out of low-speed wind close to the ground

They really look rickety and I’d have guessed they were stationary, non-rotating vanes or louvers from the photo.