San Gorgonio Pass wind farm

San Gorgonio Pass wind farm
The San Gorgonio Pass wind farm in March 2023
Map
CountryUnited States
LocationRiverside County, California
Coordinates33°54′N 116°35′W / 33.900°N 116.583°W / 33.900; -116.583
StatusOperational
Construction began1982
OwnerVarious
OperatorVarious
Wind farm
TypeOnshore
Hub height300 ft (91 m) (max)
Power generation
Units operational666
Nameplate capacity628 MW
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

The San Gorgonio Pass wind farm is a wind farm that stretches from the eastern slope of the San Gorgonio Pass, near Cabazon, to North Palm Springs, on the western end of the Coachella Valley, in Riverside County, California. Flanked by Mount San Gorgonio and the Transverse Ranges to the North, and Mount San Jacinto and the Peninsular Ranges to the South, the San Gorgonio Pass is a transitional zone from a Mediterranean climate west of the pass, to a Desert climate east of the pass. This makes the pass area one of the most consistently windy places in the United States.[1]

Development of the wind farm began in the 1980s.[2] It is one of the first three major wind farm areas in California, along with those at Altamont and the Tehachapi passes.

As of May 2024, the wind farm consists of 666 wind turbines with a total rated capacity of 628 MW, built as part of 26 projects.[3] The rated power output is somewhat understated, since the official database counts the latest repowered turbines but does not include their power output. In December 2021 the site hosted more than 1,220 turbines,[4] down from a peak of more than 4,200 in 1987.[5] The reduction is the result of repowering, where many small, obsolete turbines are replaced with fewer, larger turbines.

The San Gorgonio Pass is now home to the Desert Peak Energy Facility, a Battery storage power station located adjacent to the Devers electrical substation. Phase I of the facility came online in 2023, while Phase II is anticipated in the coming years.[6]

  1. ^ Ren Navez (2006). Palm Springs: California's Desert Gem. Westcliffe Publishers. pp. 15–16. ISBN 978-1-56579-552-5.
  2. ^ Spiglanin, Thomas (12 October 2024). Backstories of the Palm Springs Windmills (2nd ed.). La Quinta, CA: Ansera Solutions (published 14 September 2024). pp. 13–33. ISBN 9798218475154.
  3. ^ Hoen, B.D., Diffendorfer, J.E., Rand, J.T., Kramer, L.A., Garrity, C.P., and Hunt, H.E., 2018, United States Wind Turbine Database v7.0 (May 10, 2024): U.S. Geological Survey, American Clean Power Association, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7TX3DN0.
  4. ^ Hoen, B.D., Diffendorfer, J.E., Rand, J.T., Kramer, L.A., Garrity, C.P., and Hunt, H.E., 2018, United States Wind Turbine Database v5.0 (April 27, 2022): U.S. Geological Survey, American Clean Power Association, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7TX3DN0.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ of, Palm Springs, City (2022-05-05). "Desert Peak Energy Center Case No. 5.1543-CUP". ceqanet.opr.ca.gov. Retrieved 2024-08-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)