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From a perspective a little closer to the industry, I think the answer is just "costs".

This idea has higher turbine costs (and site profitability already ranges from impressive to deeply marginal), and the extra profit from the high end isn't excellent. Cringely overstates the money lost in high-wind conditions - most shutdowns are for low wind or to avoid damage in storm conditions, which are rather different than smooth, profitable high wind.

Further, it might offer major operating-cost hits even with ground-based generators simply by being a major break with existing systems. Obviously that's surmountable, but it means that the system has to be better for a lot of sites to be worthwhile.

That said, there are definitely vertical mill projects in the works, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them have switchover generators.




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