Jeffrey Cordova, Wind Technician at Broadview Wind in Curry County, New Mexico, has been in the wind industry for more than six years, with the last year and a half at Pattern. Nearly every day finds Jeff up in one of the site’s 141 turbines, performing maintenance, troubleshooting, or assisting other techs. Broadview straddles state lines with two wind farms—one in New Mexico and the other in Deaf Smith County in the Texas panhandle—and weather at the site can be intense. “It’s a lot of extremes,” Jeff said. “Cold in the winter, hot in the summer.” Ice can be an issue too, and lightning. But there are perks to the unforgiving conditions: “The weather can beat you down, the temperature can be horrible, but the view doesn’t get any better.” That view often includes pronghorn antelope and cattle that roam the private land and enjoy the shade of the turbines. Jeff isn’t just an expert in turbine-specific mechanics, either. He’s also rescue-trainer certified, meaning he’s able to train others on how to send injured individuals down turbines safely should the need ever arise. Thankfully, he hasn’t needed to use that aspect of his training yet. “Safety is huge here,” he said.
As one of the newer facilities, Broadview and Pattern are reaching out to the surrounding communities to begin sponsoring and supporting local causes and activities, and they’ve already contributed to the establishment of a new firehouse in town. “I’ve never seen a company invest in communities as much as Pattern does,” he said. He’s worked for other companies in the industry where that culture simply doesn’t exist. “Since I joined Pattern, I can really say I love my job. Hopefully, it’s the last place I ever work.” For those interested in the technical aspects of wind generation, Jeff recommends electrical training and certification, and also says a great work ethic helps. “That’s the best feature. Anyone can be taught. But the thing is, do you want to learn? To have that mindset is key.”