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SoCalGas, Metropolitan Water District, LADWP Award $578,500 In Rebates To Los Angeles Unified School District For New Commercial Kitchen Equipment

/in , /by /Yahoo!

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) awarded the Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles Unified) close to $600,000 in energy and water efficiency program rebates.  Los Angeles Unified received $482,500 through SoCalGas’ “Energy Efficiency Rebates for Business” program and $96,000 in rebates from MWD and LADWP through the “SoCalWater$mart” program.  The rebates stemmed from the purchase of nearly 200 new high-efficiency natural gas pressure-less steamers placed in the kitchens at more than 90 Los Angeles Unified schools.  Representatives from SoCalGas, MWD and LADWP presented the rebate checks at the May 28 Board of Education Committee of the Whole meeting.

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Salton Sea Restoration Program is moving forward with a restoration project to benefit migratory birds.

Major Habitat Restoration Project Set to Move Forward at Salton Sea

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The State of California, after resolving key hurdles, is set to move forward on a restoration project at the Salton Sea to improve habitat for migratory birds, while covering more exposed sea bed.

When the State Water Resources Control Board last met to discuss the status of the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP), Chairman E. Joaquin Esquivel called upon the State to resolve issues causing delays in the State’s lead project at the sea—Species Conservation Habitat.

Resolution was reached on several of the issues in May, and now the state can move forward with a design-build plan for constructing the habitat project. Development of the project is a tangible sign of the Salton Sea Management Plan being implemented.

Wetlands project completed

Smaller-scale restoration projects at the Salton Sea are moving forward. California agencies, the Salton Sea Authority, and the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Tribe completed a 60-acre wetlands project on the northern end of the sea. Additionally, work is advancing on the 500-plus acre Red Hill Marina wetlands project on the southeast side of the sea. Earthwork is complete, pipelines are in place, and pumps have been ordered and are on their way.

But, the Species Conservation Habitat project is the shining piece of phase one of California’s 10-year approach to the Salton Sea Management Program. It is a proof of concept project that would lay the groundwork for projects to come. The habitat project spans nearly 4,000 acres and entails building a series of ponds that would provide a controlled habitat to manage a fish population, which, in return, would provide a food source for migratory birds. Most importantly, it is a habitat project that would cover an expansive area of exposed playa.

Land issues resolved

What makes the Species Conservation Habitat project so critical is that it has already gone through the permitting phase for the entire 4,000 acres and is ready to move forward with construction. Those who follow the Salton Sea issues anticipated SCH would already be moving forward by now in a phased approach that would have seen about 640 acres completed first. However, an easement issue, lack of staff dedicated to the SSMP, and a learning curve associated with a design-build project delivery process – led to delays in the project.

With land issues resolved, the fact that California is increasing its staff dedicated to the Salton Sea and the Salton Sea Management Plan, and state agencies becoming more familiar with the design-build project delivery method, several obstacles impeding progress have been removed. The 4,000-acre project is expected to start this year be completed in 2023.

The State Water Resources Control Board will likely be holding a new workshop on the Salton Sea in the near future. By then, the State is to have a recovery plan as a path forward to prevent future delays in project development.

Foothills Communities Face Proposed 7% Water Rate Hike

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Lila Seidman

Crescenta Valley Water District’s board of directors have proposed rate increases for both its water and sewer rates. If approved, customers could see their combined monthly bills increase by about $7. On June 11, board members will hold a public hearing about the proposed 7% water rate hike, as well as a 4% increase in sewer, or wastewater, rates, according to Christy Scott, spokeswoman for the water district. If adopted, the new rates will go into effect July 1, impacting the district’s roughly 33,000 customers in La Crescenta, Montrose, and portions of Glendale and La Cañada Flintridge. Under the proposed rates, monthly water bills would increase by an average of $5.32 and monthly sewer service bills would increase by an average of $1.66.

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OPINION: Energy Storage Can Keep The Lights On, Cut Carbon Emissions

/in , /by /Capitol Weekly (Sacramento)by Jim McIntosh

Most of us won’t forget those rolling blackouts that took place across California in early 2000.  I remember them well, since I was the one who had to manage the power grid and turn off the lights more than a dozen times. Since then, energy engineers and operators like myself have made a life’s work out of keeping the lights on as California works to reduce carbon emissions and add more renewable energy into the power grid to meet California’s clean energy goals. The challenge is this: California remains dependent on natural gas plants and imported power from other states to meet demand in the evening when the sun goes down and solar energy isn’t available.

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Major Habitat Restoration Project Set To Move Forward At Salton Sea

/in , /by /Water News Network
The state of California, after resolving key hurdles, is set to move forward on a restoration project at the Salton Sea to improve habitat for migratory birds, while covering more exposed sea bed. When the State Water Resources Control Board last met to discuss the status of the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP), Chairman E. Joaquin Esquivel called upon the State to resolve issues causing delays in the State’s lead project at the sea—Species Conservation Habitat (SCH). The State did reach resolution on several of the issues in May, and now can move forward with a design-build plan for constructing SCH.
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OPINION: Beware: Stealth Water Tax Hike Still Alive In Legislature

/in , , /by /San Diego Union-Tribune

It’s disgraceful that 1 million residents statewide do not have regular access to safe water supplies — a problem that is concentrated in rural agricultural communities in the Central Valley and Southeast California with little or no water infrastructure. But Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to impose a first-ever tax on water to respond to the problem was never the right answer. The state is running a surplus of more than $20 billion and sitting on billions of dollars in water bonds that state voters approved in 2014 and 2018. Fortunately, the proposal now appears dead. Unfortunately, Assembly Bill 217, by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, is very much alive, having passed two committee votes.

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Federal Bill Includes $14 Million To Boost Water Storage For Central Valley, Nor Cal

/in , /by /The Modesto Beeby Ken Carlson

A congressional bill includes almost $14 million in funding for water projects in the Central Valley and Northern California. Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, said he was successful in working the funding into an Energy and Water Development appropriations bill that includes spending for infrastructure across the nation. According to a Harder press release, the bill has $4.1 million for the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program, which supplies highly treated wastewater from Modesto and Turlock to farmland in western Stanislaus County. The Del Puerto Water District near Patterson stands to receive $1.5 million for development of a Del Puerto Canyon reservoir capable of storing 85,000 acre-feet of water.

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Lawmakers, Trump Agencies Set For Clash Over Chemicals In Water

/in , /by /The Hill (Washington, D.C.)by Rebecca Beitsch

An aggressive push by Congress to pass bipartisan legislation addressing cancer-causing chemicals that are leaching into the water supply is setting the stage for a fight with the Trump administration. The chemicals, commonly abbreviated as PFAS, are used in items ranging from food wrappers and Teflon pans to raincoats and firefighting foam. But studies have found that as they break down and find their way into drinking water, they can cause a variety of negative health effects. PFAS has been linked with kidney and thyroid cancer along with high cholesterol and other illnesses. Contamination has spread to 43 states, and a 2015 study found 98 percent of Americans tested now have the chemical in their blood.

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Should Big Dams Count As Renewable Energy? California Democrats Divided

/in , /by /The Mercury Newsby Paul Rogers

For motorists driving to Yosemite National Park from the Bay Area, Don Pedro Reservoir is a familiar sight. But the massive lake along Highway 120 just west of Groveland has taken on a new role recently: as a flashpoint in the debate over what should  and shouldn’t  count as renewable energy in California. The outcome of that debate could impact how much solar and wind energy is developed across the state in years to come.

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California Attorney General Warns EPA: State Oversight Is Required By Law Under the Clean Water Act

/in , /by /Sierra Sun Times

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, as part of a coalition of 16 states and four state environmental agencies, last Friday filed a comment letter warning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that any attempt to roll back state oversight of federal projects under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) would be unlawful. The letter responds to the EPA’s request for recommendations to revise existing guidance and regulations implementing Section 401. The statute preserves states’ authority to protect the quality of the waters within their borders.

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