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Biden Is Eyeing Renewable Energy. So Are Hackers

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Christian Vasquez

President-elect Joe Biden’s rush to renewable energy may open up a host of cybersecurity dangers if more isn’t done to secure the technology from hackers.

Fast-evolving solar and wind technologies pose new risks to power grid security, especially as smaller renewable energy companies often lack resources to fight against hackers, experts warn. And a recently discovered hacking campaign targeting federal agencies and potentially hundreds of energy companies only underscores the scale of the challenge.

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Antioch Approves $87 Million Bid for Brackish Water Desalination Plant

/in , /by /East Bay Timesby Judith Prieve

Shimmick Construction Co. has been awarded a nearly $87 million contract to build Antioch’s brackish water desalination plant.

The City Council unanimously approved the company’s bid during a special meeting Friday after rejecting a protest bid from C. Overaa & Co., which also wanted the job. The $86,689,000 contract with Shimmick will include a 5% contingency of $4,334,450 in case of unforeseen costs for a total of $91,023,450.

In addition, council members authorized city staff to increase the total budget for the desalination project to $110 million. Earlier projections had estimated it would cost nearly $70 million.

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Biden CEQ Pick Signals NEPA Changes

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Kelsey Brugger

President-elect Joe Biden last week picked veteran environmental attorney Brenda Mallory to help guide federal environmental permitting as the incoming administration gears up to build massive infrastructure projects across the United States.

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Opinion: California Water Agencies are Feeling the Pandemic’s Financial Pinch. But the Water Will Keep Flowing

/in , /by /Maven's Notebookby Danielle Blacet-Hyden

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, it’s more important than ever that all Californians have reliable access to clean, safe water. At the most basic level, our health depends on it: water is essential for the handwashing and cleaning that helps eliminate the virus. Water also is indispensable for our food supply, jobs and economy.

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Otay Water District Board Elects Tim Smith as 2021 Board President

/in , /by

Spring Valley, Calif. – At its December meeting, the Otay Water District Board of Directors elected new officers to lead the District’s Board for 2021. The board elected board member Tim Smith, who represents division 1, as president. The board also elected board member Mark Robak, serving division 5, as vice president and Jose Lopez, serving division 4, as treasurer.

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Water Agency Outreach Efforts Honored

/in , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority and three of its member agencies were recognized Dec. 17 by the Public Relations Society of America San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter for outstanding work in public outreach and education efforts.

The 2020 PRSA Bernays Awards were presented for communication on a variety of platforms, all designed to inform stakeholders and ratepayers about initiatives ensuring a safe and reliable water supply.

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Will California Finally Fulfill its Promise to Fix the Salton Sea?

/in , /by /High Country News/The Desert Sun by Mark Olalde

Red flags flutter outside the schools in Salton City, California, when the air quality is dangerous. Dust billows across the desert, blanketing playgrounds and baseball diamonds, the swirling grit canceling recess and forcing students indoors. Visibility is so poor you can’t see down the block. Those days worry Miriam Juarez the most.

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Second Lawsuit Filed Over San Diego’s Pure Water Project

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Rob Nikolewski

Earlier this year, the city of San Diego filed a lawsuit against San Diego Gas & Electric in a dispute over the utility’s underground infrastructure obstructing the construction of a $1.4 billion water recycling project.

Now, a second and separate lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a San Diego resident claiming an agreement between the city and SDG&E to help get the project started is illegal.

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US: More Must Be Done to Protect Colorado River From Drought

/in , /by /AP News by Felicia Fonseca

A set of guidelines for managing the Colorado River helped several states through a dry spell, but it’s not enough to keep key reservoirs in the American West from plummeting amid persistent drought and climate change, according to a U.S. report released Friday.

Millions of people in seven states and Mexico rely on the river for drinking water and growing crops. The 2007 guidelines were meant to lessen the blow of any future cuts in the water supply for growing areas, giving states an idea of what to expect each year and ways to manage the risks.

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Year-End Deal Includes Major Energy, Environment Wins

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Geof Koss, Jeremy Dillon and Emma Dumain

While negotiators largely sidelined energy issues during months of stalled talks on COVID-19 relief, a number of significant energy and environmental provisions will hitch a ride on the year-end agreement set to pass today.

House and Senate leaders yesterday announced they had reached a deal on a $1.4 trillion fiscal 2021 spending omnibus, pandemic relief legislation and a number of major items that will ride along. Final text had yet to be released by publication time.

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