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Hundreds of people are attending the Southern California Energy Summit in Palm Springs to hear from renewable energy leaders., and Thursday, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Lieutenant Governor says leading the way in renewable energies will help California's ailing economy and high unemployment numbers.
Newsom says solar and wind technologies can help our area.

Investing in green tech and renewable energies is a must for California - that's the word from the state's second in command.
"This state is the dominant leader, not only in the United States, but in the world, more patents are emanating out of here for battery technology and solar technology than any other place in America, we see more venture capital in the clean tech sector in this state than in any other state, our wind generation, certainly significant down here, but also our solar generation is second to none," said Lt. Gov. Newsom.
The state is requiring 33 percent of energy to come from renewable sources by 2020
"Our region is working towards those goals, but we're doing it right for our region, so we want to be smart about it, we want to make sure that the environmental concerns are addressed, we want to make sure business concerns are addressed, we want to make sure those jobs that are created are sourced from our local region," said Coachella Valley Economic Partnership's COO, Wesley Ahlgren.
A group of people came to the summit with an environmental concern - they are worried about the Sentinel Power Plant that will go online next fall near Desert Hot Springs.
"We asked the CEC, the California Energy Commission why they didn't disqualify a plan that was in one of the six most polluted counties in the country, and where the rate of asthma in children is four times the national average," said Palm Springs resident, Lew Stewart.
That citizen group will hold a town hall meeting about the power plant Friday at 7pm at Carefree Mobile Home Park in Desert Hot Springs..
Back on stage, the lieutenant governor told the crowd one solution to the hurting economy is green energy.
"This whole that if you're going to become a low carbon, green growing state that it's going to cost businesses is being challenged by a new reality where it actually generates opportunity, job creation, economic development, particularly in areas that are in desperate need, Imperial County, Coachella Valley, and other parts of our state," said Newsom.
The Southern California Energy Summit continues at the Palm Springs Convention Center Friday.