Hi Siegfied/B-Jay,

Unfortunately, wind power cannot be relied upon for a 24/7 power supply. Some of the calmest days to be found are during the colder parts of winter when large and stable high pressure areas dominate. These provide the beautiful, brilliant, sunny, very cold, and often very calm days that we know and love in Canada (that most dreaded of all meteorological phenomena... the Arctic High). Basically, you would need a supplementary form of power that would have to be able to generate the very large requirements of the mines while the wind wasn't sufficiently active.

Having said that, the cold is not a mechanical issue for wind turbines as evidenced by the large wind farms along the foothills of the northern Rockies in Alberta, that run through all types of extreme weather as long as there is a sufficient breeze.

Take care,

RHammer