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Every Time it Gets Really Hot in the West this Summer — Expect a Flex Alert

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

California energy consumers, get used to seeing more Flex Alerts — requests from the state’s grid operator to have consumers voluntarily cut back on energy use during certain hours to help relieve stress on the power system.

The CEO of the nonprofit that manages about 80 percent of California’s grid said Wednesday that hot weather and drought conditions are putting added stress on the state’s electrical system as the calendar moves deeper into summer. That means that in addition to looking for more energy supplies, grid operators will ask for utility customers’ help, too.

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Governor Newsom Addresses California’s Response to Deepening Drought Conditions

/in , , /by /CBS8 San Diegoby CBS News 8 Team Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Amid deepening drought and record-breaking temperatures across the West, Governor Gavin Newsom traveled to San Luis Obispo County Thursday to discuss the state’s emergency response, preparations for a potential third dry year and proposed investments to address immediate needs and build long-term water resilience.

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Sacramento Residents Asked to Cut Water Usage as California Drought, Intense Heat Worsen

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler

The city of Sacramento, invoking its water shortage contingency plan, asked residents Wednesday to reduce consumption by 10% as California’s drought intensifies. City Manager Howard Chan moved the city into Stage 1 of its contingency plan, which mandates a 10% cut by city government and a voluntary call to residents and businesses to do the same, according to spokesman Carlos Eliason. If additional measures need to be taken, they would require action by the City Council.

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Provide Room to Grow in Your Sustainable Landscape Plan

/in , , /by /Water News Network

Note the height and width of plant species when they mature when choosing plants for new sustainable landscapes. Proper plant placement, taking into account the mature plant’s size, will limit the need for regular pruning, and reduce the amount of maintenance required over time.

While regular pruning and removal of dead plant materials is vital in our region for wildfire prevention, overly aggressive pruning harms plant health and doesn’t allow natural shapes to emerge.

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Head of California Grid Expresses ‘Guarded Optimism’ About Avoiding Summer Blackouts

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Chris Jennewein

The head of California’s electric grid said Wednesday he is “guardedly optimistic” that the state will avoid rotating blackouts this summer, but warned that voluntary cooperation during Flex Alerts will be necessary.

Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO of the California Independent System Operator, said utilities throughout the state have built up power reserves and invested in new technology like battery storage to prevent blackouts like the ones in 2020.

But recent record heat in California and the Pacific Northwest combined with a drought that will reduce hydropower give him cause for concern.

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Southland Heat Wave Will Bring Unstable Conditions, Intense Fire Danger

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

As crews continue to combat wildfires in Northern California, the southern part of the state is preparing for extreme heat and elevated fire danger.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued an excessive heat warning across portions of Southern California’s high desert, with the Apple and Lucerne valleys preparing for temperatures that could climb as high as 120 degrees by the weekend — potentially the hottest of the year so far.

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Opinion: Water Act Would Keep Water Clean and Affordable

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Alexandra Nagy

California has a long history of treating public water as a commodity instead of a human right and entrusting it to industries that fail to manage it responsibly. Water is a public trust resource that needs protection. The federal Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act would put water systems back in the hands of the people who depend on it for life and livelihood.

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IID Pounds Pavement to Head Off Bill

/in , /by /Holtville Tribuneby Antoine Abou-Diwan

Imperial Irrigation District officials are making a last-ditch effort to amend or kill proposed legislation that could fundamentally transform the governing board of the agency, Assembly Bill 1021.

At the heart of the issue is how the bill could force the district — which provides water and power to virtually all of Imperial County, and electricity to part of the Coachella Valley — to add a seat representing energy ratepayers from a small section of southeastern Riverside County to the IID Board of Directors.

IID officials are vehemently opposed to the bill, which they see as the tip of a spear that would allow outside interests to seize control of Imperial Valley’s lifeblood, its water.

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Water Authority General Manager Statement on Governor Newsom’s Expanded Drought Proclamation

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

Sandra L. Kerl, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority, issued the following statement on today’s expanded drought declaration and proclamation of a state emergency by Gov. Gavin Newsom and his call for Californians to voluntarily reduce water use by 15%:

“While the San Diego region is thankfully drought-safe this summer due to sound planning and decades-long ratepayer investments in new water supplies and storage and adoption of water conservation as a way of life, we must also be part of the statewide movement now underway to address water supply challenges created by drought and climate change in other parts of California.

“The Water Authority strongly supports the governor’s call for the public to voluntarily cutback water use by 15% in order to allow local, regional and state water agencies to plan and take the steps necessary under these changed conditions to maximize the availability of limited water supplies going forward, through the investment of state funding and implementation of other provisions of the Governor’s Proclamation of a State Emergency and Executive Order N-10-21 calling for water conservation.

“The Water Authority will be working closely with our member agencies and with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California over the next several days, weeks and months, to design and implement strategies to maximize water supply development in collaboration with Governor Newsom and state agencies, in order to protect California.”

Information about the Water Authority’s water-use-efficiency programs is at www.watersmartsd.org/.

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EV Deal Shows ‘Lithium Valley’ Could Be For Real

/in , /by /E&E Newsby David Ferris

If all goes to plan, General Motors Co.’s future electric cars will rely on batteries made from a broiling-hot, brownish fluid that gushes from the California desert.

The contours of that future emerged on Friday, when GM struck a deal with a little-known company called Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) to supply the country’s largest domestic automaker with tons of lithium from a desolate area called the Salton Sea.

The arrangement is the first concrete sign that “Lithium Valley,” as its boosters call it — a green industrial ecosystem that produces zero-carbon electricity, battery-grade lithium and lots of jobs — could actually become a thing.

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