The success or failure of Wasatch Wind's venture could be a deciding factor in whether other projects are built around the state. Utah does not have as many ideal locations as other Western states, but it does have enough for some degree of utility production.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a division of the DOE, has compiled a map of potential wind sites in Utah. The NREL's site maps work on a scale of one to seven, with seven being "superb" and one being "poor." Most wind farms are built in areas with a rating of five or six, of which Utah has several, particularly in central and southeastern areas.

However, wind works much like real estate, in that the most important factors are location, location, location. While many Utah sites have ideal wind conditions, they are located on mountain ridges in remote areas, far from existing power transmission lines, and therefore financially unsound for development.

"If you have a good wind site that is fairly far out there and you have to build a transmission line, it raises the cost of the power from that source," Eskelsen said. "That, in turn, raises the amount you have to charge for that power."

Next-generation wind turbines could change that. Researchers at the National Wind Technology Center are working on turbines that could profitably operate in areas with a wind rating of three or four, which are more common in Utah and frequently located closer to urban areas.

In the meantime, however, wind energy is still widely available here, through PacifiCorp's Blue Sky Program. The company purchases power from major wind farms in Washington, Oregon and Wyoming, which customers can in turn purchase for a small additional charge on their bill of $1.95 per 100 kilowatt-hours. (The average customer uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month, according to PacifiCorp.)

The Blue Sky program, one of 600 similar programs throughout the nation, ranked second in customer participation and third in the amount of renewable energy purchased, according to an April 2006 newsletter published by PacifiCorp. Participation grew by 17 percent in 2005, to 44,000 customers.

PacifiCorp also buys wind energy from other projects, which is separate from the Blue Sky program and is part of the overall energy mix that all customers receive, regardless of participation in Blue Sky. The Wasatch Wind farm will be one such project.

Wind's future

The environmental benefits and zero fuel cost associated with wind energy have been the driving factors behind its popularity. Advocates say the nation could theoretically meet all its energy needs through wind power, and President Bush has called for the nation to increase its total dependency on wind energy to 20 percent by 2020.