Another Giant Turbine Blade Breaks in Iowa

A giant blade in central Iowa has broken off from its turbine engine, the second time in less than a month that a wind turbine blade has broken off.

This latest mishap occurred last week at a wind turbine near Paton, Iowa in the central part of the state. No one was injured by the broken blade. But Mid American Energy said it is extremely rare that a blade like this would ever break.

Wind turbine blades are massive. If you've ever had the chance to see one being shipped to it's destination on the back of a flatbed semi truck, you know just how massive they are.

The blades are positively huge and extend about 177 feet in length. They can typically weigh in at around 18,000 pounds each, according to Iowa's News Now.

There is an interesting history behind harnessing the use of wind to generate power. According to Wikipedia the first electricity-generating wind turbine was a battery charging machine installed in July 1887 by Scotsman James Blyth. He used the juice to light his holiday home.

This latest incident is the second report of a broken turbine blade in as many months. Back in September another blade broke off it's turbine near Adel, Iowa when it crash landed in a nearby corn field.

The use of wind and solar power devices continues to advance renewable energy sources, one that offers great promise for our future.