Xinjiang trying to turn wind into power

The Gobi Desert and its harsh weather conditions are best known in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for sandstorms and rocks. Now the local government and investors are trying to make use of the wind to help fuel the growing economy.

These giant windmills bring electricity to households, and profits to investors. Although one turbine costs more than a million US dollars, investors are eager to tap into the power of the wind. Operation costs are low and there are no green house gases.

Du Guangli, vice general manager of Huaneng Xinjiang Energy Dev't Co., said, "Wind power constitutes nearly 10 percent of the total generation capacity our company is building in Xinjiang. We are also planning a wind power generation capacity of 1.1 megawatts in the region in the next few years."

All that's needed to push the turbine is the wind, which has been considered excessive in Xinjiang. Workers here have been stuck in the room for up to a week before the wind eases up enough.

The wind is strong enough to derail a train. And now the local government wants to harness that power to drive the engine of the economy.