megawatt tehachapi asmus rushes profiteers reaping wizards altamont birthed pains turbines manages confluence subsidies capitalized messy aesthetic utility arose idealistic ego fledgling decentralized incentives savvy mechanical farms visionaries paved renewable cornerstone harness hostile documenting entrenched frames breakthroughs limitations experiments

ecological industrys fuels occasionally opposition pass pioneers activism 19th rarely 21st wind fossil sophisticated multi straight alternative clean concerns economics struggled illustrates tax mountains peter sustainable required centers ranging influenced fundamental lens shy conflicts cast examining transition nuanced

tracing ambition interests machines diverse failures status scale chapter resources wall shift learned 1980s saw engineering characters individual large shape technical attention values line traditional california technological democratic pivotal environmental innovation landscape physical view lessons natural build process driven