Maybe you think they’re majestic. Maybe you think they’re an eyesore. No matter how you feel about wind turbines, there’ll be a lot more of them in coming years. And someone will have to keep each one of them spinning. In fact, wind turbine repair technician is estimated to be one of the fastest-growing jobs in the US this decade, with at least 5,000 new roles by 2032. One onshore wind veteran who’s been doing the work for 13 years spills to WIRED about what it’s like.
Most of the time, though, you’re out there just doing routine maintenance. You know how your car needs an oil change, tire rotation, air filter change? The same kind of thing applies to wind turbines. We have to grease the bearings. We torque all the bolts and make sure nothing got loose. We change the oil and clean the turbine. If a farm has 100 turbines, say, then you have 200 maintenance checks to do that year.