@galefilterphotography

From the ❤️: “good trouble” imagery, three stacks and a rock. In the California Central Coast town of Morro Bay, two things tower above everything else. The 23-million-year-old Morro Rock that rises 576 feet out of the ocean; and, the three 450-foot concrete smokestacks, built half a century ago for a seaside power plant. Locals call Morro Bay “Three stacks and a rock.” Built by Pacific Gas and Electric in the 1950s, the Morro Bay power plant was first run on oil, eventually transitioning to natural gas before shutting down in 2014. The smokestacks will soon come down. Vistra Corp., a Texas-based energy company that now owns the plant, is proposing building what would be one of the world's largest lithium-ion battery storage facilities on the site. And there are ongoing discussions about connecting a planned offshore wind farm to the power grid using existing infrastructure on the property. The new Morro Bay power station would house around 180,000 battery modules that would hold energy produced elsewhere and release it to the power grid via an existing PG&E switchyard adjacent to the site. It could power up to 450,000 homes. Times change. Global warming is our reality. California law requires that all of the state's electricity come from clean energy sources by 2045. It was a rare clear morning for this long exposure. In Morro Bay the fog can be so thick that the stacks can disappear several times a day. For six years after retirement, I worked as a consultant on California’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). I spent a considerable amount of time in Morro Bay, all of which is a MPA. I will miss seeing the three stacks. Yes, I own a tripod. #California #photojournalism #Morrobay #centralcoast #kindness #survival #climatechange #heat #drought #wildfires #water #thirst #globalwarming #savetheplanet #energy #cleanenergy #renewable #sustainableenergy #greenenergy #battery #windfarm