Windmill Farm up the valley

The windmill farm generates enough electricity to power the entire city of Palm Springs and some of the surrounding area. It produces 600-900 megawatts of power. Utilities buy the electricity produced by the 3,100 windmills at the wind farm. The Palm Springs area is unique, as the wind blows hard enough to power the windmills 300days a year. The San Jacinto mountains are the 3rd highest mountain range in California and provide a wind tunnel through the San Gorgonio Pass along Interstate 10. The wind runs east to west along the pacific plate. The winds usually blow west to east in the mornings and east to west in the afternoon so half of the windmills face east and half west to take advantage of this. Windmills are placed 700 feet apart for optimal use of the wind. As the wind goes through one windmill it becomes dirty and takes about 700 feet before it clears up enough to be used by the next windmill.