Renewable Energy
California’s Imperial County will be “The Renewable Energy Capital of the World.”
With its vast natural resources and key location, the region is uniquely positioned to develop those resources while also helping the state and entire Southwest meet the demand for renewable energy.
Some of the most promising opportunities for renewable
energy sources include geothermal, solar and biofuels.
Geothermal
With plenty of room for expansion, Imperial County is the second largest geothermal energy producing county in the nation, generating over 500 megawatts.
By itself, the area surrounding the Salton Sea has the ability to produce over 2,000 megawatts.
Several new geothermal facilities are presently being designed and built in Imperial County.
Solar
Home to over 360 days of annual sunshine and large amounts of private and public lands available for development, Imperial County will soon see the creation of many new solar energy generation projects.
NREL maps identify Imperial County as an ideal location for solar, with most land being less than 1% in slope. (www.nrel.gov)
A number of utility-scale solar generators are in development.
Biofuels
The Imperial Valley contains nearly 500,000 acres of some of the world’s most productive farmland and possesses the largest single water right on the Colorado River (3.1 million acre feet/year).
Our abundant agricultural resources combined with a year-round growing season make this area prime for biofuel production.
Several new ethanol plants are being proposed, using corn, sugarcane or cellulosic technologies.
Other generation concepts being explored include biomass and
biodiesel.
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