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LA RUMOROSA, Mexico -- The Institute of the Americas energy team visited this windswept area between Tecate and Mexicali in August to learn more about Baja's first wind power project.

On a 103-acre parcel of barren hillside sits a 10-megawatt project, the first of its kind south of the border.  Conceived of, paid for and managed by the state of Baja California, the $26.1 million project has five towers, each measuring 256 feet, as well as an energy collection facility and control center.

Bringing the project to fruition proved a monumental logistical undertaking. Although the project is close to the Mexicali-Tijuana toll road, it is far from wind energy equipment manufacturers. With parts shipped from distant factories in North Dakota and Pennsylvania, and with 501 truck loads of cement for platforms that often took almost a full day to pour, the project required a "logistical orchestra," said David Muñoz, director general of the State Energy Commission and a visionary behind the project.

Beyond its direct investment, the project is contributing greatly to Baja California's energy strategy. Through its agreement and interconnection with the Comision Federal de Electricidad -- Mexico's national power monopoly -- the project is now providing the equivalent of roughly 80% of Mexicali's public lighting while generating critical financial discounts to Baja residents for their peak summer power bills.

Just under a year into operation, the project is the pride of the Baja government and State Energy Commission. Local residents are excited by the project, too. During the IOA visit, a car full of Bajacalifornianos arrived for a view of the site and posed for photos just outside the entryway.

The visit also underscored a perpetual challenge for wind energy: Intermittent power generation. Only during the second half of the visit was the wind consistent enough to spin the blades and generate power.

The age-old challenge does not appear to dampen the optimism of Muñoz and his staff on-site. As the IOA team returned loaner hard hats and safety vests and prepared to head back to La Jolla, they huddled around one of several laptops in the control center, poring over the myriad charts and readouts from the project’s operations. One reading noted that the massive towers were generating just over 2 megawatts.

Baja hearts wind energy.