photo credit: The Passive Dad
This weekend my family traveled out of town to attend another cousins wedding near Bass Lake, CA. Absolutely beautiful country that is very close to Yosemite and offers some great outdoor activities. Bass lake is surrounded by towering pine trees and we found the perfect place to park the car and take the kids down to the water to relax. When we got out of the car, the first sign I noticed was posted by PG&E and was a notice of a hydroelectric project. PG&E is Pacific Gas and Electric, and also happens to power our house and city too. I had no idea that PG&E generated power using tidal waves from Bass Lake, nor was it the first hydroelectric damns built by them. Of course, since the hydroelectric project was underwater and near the damn, I couldn’t take any pictures or see the actual plant. I did snap a quick picture of the sign and would be curious if anyone knows of this or other hydroelectric projects in California?
Besides being cool and green to the environment, hydroelectricity offers a consistent power generation through waves, and should also be considered passive power. Just like passive income, passive power may require some up front costs, but provides consistent power for years. Of course the cost of a hydroelectric damn would costs thousands if not millions to build, but the concept is the same and will allow consistent energy generation for years.
photo credit: The Passive Dad
Traveling back home we drove over the Altamont Pass, which bridges the San Joaquin Valley and Livermore. I’ve gone over the Altamont Pass hundreds of times and am always fascinated by the wind turbines that cover the hills and that they are always moving. Over the years the look has changed from large wind turbines to the smaller ones now occupied, but they continue to generate power. With the cost of natural gas and oil being at all time highs, I would think the owner of this wind farm would be making some money on this alternative “green” investment. Wind turbines are also passive income, they carry an upfront investment and the wind creates consistent profits for years to come. Do you have a wind farm near your house or city? Have you considered offsetting your home electricity with a wind turbine or solar panels?
