Celebrate American Wind Week in San Diego with Better Energy Use

As we recognize American Wind Week, in California wind projects are reported to provide enough electricity to power more than 2 million households. An invisible yet mighty source of energy, wind power plays a critical role in helping California to reduce its carbon emissions to a net-zero level.

In 2018, former Gov. Brown signed Senate Bill 100 (SB100) that will require that 100 percent of all electricity delivered to Californians be derived from renewable energy sources by Dec. 31, 2045. For California to achieve the long-term goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become a zero-carbon state, the trend to produce more electricity from renewable resources must continue. Currently, as the fourth largest source of electrical generation, wind is integral to meeting this goal. In California, the majority of wind turbines are concentrated in six regions, with East San Diego County serving as a major hub of wind power generation.

Wind power is mostly generated at night and when the wind is blowing. While most California residents already have access to cleaner energy produced by wind power through their utility provider, factoring in when you use energy has grown increasingly important to reducing demand of non-renewable energy sources. To use cleaner energy when it is more readily available and costs less to produce, residents must consider when they are using energy alongside of how much energy they are using to power their daily lives.

Celebrate American Wind Week with Energy Upgrade California and keep California golden for generations to come by adopting a few easy habits into your routine:

• Power Down From 4-9 p.m.: Turn off, turn down, and unplug your devices during these hours to ensure you’re using cleaner energy.
• Recharge While You Sleep: Recharge your devices while you do the same, so when you wake up your devices are fully charged with cleaner energy.
• Hold Off On Chores: Wait to start your dishwasher and laundry until after 9 p.m. or the next morning so that you're cleaning with cleaner energy.
• Ready. Set. Go.: By setting your thermostat to 74° from 4-9 p.m., you'll be cooling down with cleaner energy.

To learn more ways to use cleaner energy produced by renewable resources like the wind, head to www.powerdown4to9.org.