Deep Freeze Ices Finland Wind Turbines, Sending Output Plunging

Finland’s wind power generation slumped to near standstill as an extended cold snap coated turbine blades with ice and forced operators to curb output, adding pressure to already high electricity prices.

Wind farms were producing at a tiny fraction of the Nordic nation’s installed capacity on Wednesday, according to grid operator Fingrid Oyj. Temperatures fell to around -20C (-4F) in western Finland’s Ostrobothnia region, where most of the country’s wind capacity is located.