Contrasts
I was surprised to see power plants steaming as I got closer to the southern end of the Salton Sea. As it turns out, these plants are gathering geothermal energy. From the Center for Land Use Interpretation web site:
This photo combining agriculture and power production was taken just after I turned right (south) as I exited one of the visiting areas of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge.
Salton Sea Geothermal Plants
This cluster of seven geothermal plants is the largest of three major geothermal energy production sites in the Imperial Valley. A network of deep wells drilled in the geothermal field allow water, heated by the earth's mantle, to come to the surface and to power electrical generators. Owned by the CalEnergy Company, the electricity is sold to the local power utility and put on the grid. The seven plants in this field produce enough electricity to power over 100,000 homes.
