Wind power in California

California wind resources

As of December 31, 2015, California has 6,108 megawatts (MW) of wind powered electricity generating capacity.^[1] California's wind power capacity has grown by nearly 350% since 2001, when it was less than 1,700 MW.^[1][2] As of the end of September 2012, wind energy (including that supplied by other states) now supplies about 5% of California’s total electricity needs, or enough to power more than 400,000 households. Most of California's wind generation is found in the Tehachapi area of Kern County, with some big projects in Solano, Contra Costa and Riverside counties as well. California presently ranks third nationwide in terms of capacity, behind Texas and Iowa.^[1]

History

Wind power in California has been an area of considerable activity for many years. California was the first U.S. state where large wind farms were developed, beginning in the early 1980s.^[3] By 1995, California produced 30 percent of the entire world's wind-generated electricity.^[4] However, this situation has changed and Texas is currently the leader in wind power development in the USA.

Historically, most of California's wind power output has been in three primary regions: Altamont Pass Wind Farm (east of San Francisco); Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm (south east of Bakersfield) and San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm (near Palm Springs, east of Los Angeles).^[4] A fourth area, the Montezuma Hills of Solano County, was developed in 2005–2009, with the large Shiloh Wind Power Plant.

The Alta Wind Energy Center is a windfarm located in Tehachapi Pass in Kern County, California.^[5] Kern County is reviewing a number of other proposed wind projects that would generate a combined 4,600 megawatts of renewable energy if approved.^[6]

Large wind farms in California Name Location Capacity (MW) Status Ref Altamont Pass Wind Farm Alameda County 576 Operational [7] Alta Wind Energy Center Kern County 1020 Operational [7] Ocotillo Wind Energy Project Imperial County 315 Operational [8] San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm Riverside County 615 Operational [7] Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm Kern County 705 Operational [7]

Alta Wind Energy Center Altamont Pass Wind Farm Ocotillo Wind Energy Project San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm Shiloh Wind Power Plant Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm California wind farms

The majority of the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm as viewed from the San Jacinto Mountains to the south. (The farm continues over the hills to the north along California State Route 62 and is not visible from this vantagepoint). The layout includes a variety of large modern and older smaller turbine designs

Growth

California Wind Generation by Year

Thousand Megawatt-hours of generated energy since 2001[2][9]

The graph at right shows the growth in wind generated electricity for California since 2001.

California has a total of 6,108 megawatts installed wind generation capacity, as of the end of December 2015.^[2] Wind energy (including power supplied from other states) now supplies about 5% of California’s total electricity needs.^[10][11]

In 2011, 921.3 megawatts of new production were installed. Most of that activity occurred in the Tehachapi area of Kern County, with some big projects in Solano, Contra Costa and Riverside counties as well. After leading the country for many years, California now ranks third nationwide in terms of capacity, behind Texas and Iowa.^[11][12][13] Due to higher average winds in Oklahoma, California is fourth in wind generation.^[14]

California uses about 265,000 GWh each year.^[15]

Offshore wind potential

A 2009 Stanford University study of California offshore wind potential identified a site off Cape Mendocino that could provide uninterrupted year round power from a 1500 MW wind farm that would produce an average of 790 MW. Three types of offshore wind power were studied, with the conclusion that from 12,300 to 19,700 GWh/yr could be delivered from 1,997 to 3,331 MW of monopile wind turbines installed in up to 20 meter deep water, from 38,200 to 73,000 GWh/yr could be delivered from 6,202 to 12,374 MW of multi-leg wind turbines in 20 to 50 meter deep water, and from 462,100 to 568,200 GWh/yr from 73,025 to 91,707 MW of floating turbine foundation wind turbines in from 50 to 200 meter deep water,^[16] such as those being studied for use off the coast of Maine by the Ocean Energy Institute and the DeepCwind Consortium.^[17]

Wind generation

Source:^{[18][19] [20]}

California Wind Generation in 2014

California Wind Generation in 2015

See also

• Renewable energy in the United States
• Wind power in the United States
• List of wind farms
• Clipper Windpower
• Anti-nuclear movement in California

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wind power in California.

• Daily renewables watch

Wind power in the United States
American Wind Energy Association NASA wind turbines United States Wind Energy Policy Wind farms in the US Offshore wind farms in the US Wind Powering America
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