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Storage Is Essential For California To Achieve 100% Green Energy Without Blackouts

California’s law mandating 100% carbon-free electricity has a big hole in it. It fails to address energy storage. Batteries as well as other longer-duration energy storage solutions are absolutely essential for a reliable supply of electricity that relies largely on energy resources such as solar and wind, which are available only some of the time. Ordinarily, one might assume the state’s utilities would invest in large storage projects such as pumped storage, an efficient technology allowing the capture and storage of excess renewable energy so we don’t have to waste it. When the sun is shining or the wind is blowing during the day, it pumps water uphill.

California Had A Wet Winter. But A Satellite Photo Shows The State Is Drying Out Fast

NASA released a satellite image over the weekend that showed what a large swath of California look like during the winter, when the Sierra Nevada was heavily covered with snow. A second image shows what the same region looks like now. It’s a classic good news, bad news story. Reservoir conditions are good throughout virtually all of California. In April, the snow level in the Sierra was 162 percent of average. The reservoirs will be well stocked for a long period of time.

California had a wet winter. But a satellite photo shows the state is drying out fast

NASA released a satellite image over the weekend that showed what a large swath of California look like during the winter, when the Sierra Nevada was heavily covered with snow. A second image shows what the same region looks like now. It’s a classic good news, bad news story. Reservoir conditions are good throughout virtually all of California. In April, the snow level in the Sierra was 162 percent of average. The reservoirs will be well stocked for a long period of time.

California’s Roads, Dams And Other Infrastructure Get ‘C-‘ From America’s Civil Engineers

California’s infrastructure, from highways to levees to water systems, received an overall grade of “C-” from the American Society of Civil Engineers in its annual evaluation. The Golden State’s airports, wastewater systems and ports received the highest grade at “C+,” while energy came in at a near-failing “D-” in the report released last week. “Recent investments have been made across all 17 categories that comprise the state’s infrastructure network,” the ASCE noted. “However California is playing catch-up after years of under-investment and must identify investment needs for resilient infrastructure in preparation for future natural and man-made disasters.”

Water Authority Sponsors Photo Contest To Highlight San Diego’s Agricultural Bounty

If you’re an amateur photographer with an eye for nature’s agricultural bounty, the San Diego County Water Authority has a contest for you. The water authority is marking Water Awareness Month with a contest on Instagram and Twitter that runs through the end of May. Take a photo of locally grown fruits, vegetables, flowers or nursery plants and tag it with #B2UbyH2O when you post on social media. Winners will be drawn randomly each week. The contest is intended to highlight the significance of agriculture to the regional economy.