Insider Blog: Energy generation in the Coachella Valley

Renewable energy is fascinating. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy (energy of motion) of the wind into electrical energy as the turbines spin. Solar panels work by converting photons (particles of light energy) into electrons, creating electrical energy.

In this graphic from Climate Central, they estimate how much energy will be generated over the next few days. As we are expecting an increase in our winds over the next few days, Climate Central is estimating a large increase in the amount of wind energy being generated. Tomorrow (11/6/23), enough power could be generated to charge approximately 1.3 billion phones by wind alone.

Since most days here are clear and free of clouds, we see a fairly consistent amount of energy being generated by solar panels. On average, solar panels here in the valley produce enough energy to power at least 90,000 homes every day!