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A Summer of Blackouts? Wheezing Power Grid Leaves States at Risk.

/in , /by /The Washington Postby Evan Halper

The nation’s power grid is under stress like never before, with regulators warning that the kind of rolling outages that are now familiar to California and Texas could be far more widespread as hot summer weather arrives.

A large swath of the Midwest that has enjoyed stable electricity for decades is now wrestling with forecasts that it lacks the power needed to get through a heat wave. The regional grid is short the amount of energy needed to power 3.7 million homes.

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In Worsening Drought, Southern California Water Restrictions Take Effect

/in , , /by /The Washington Postby Joshua Partlow

The forecast for Southern California grass is yellow and brown from here on out.

On Wednesday, new restrictions on outdoor water use go into effect for more than 6 million residents in the Los Angeles area. The rules, set by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, limit outdoor watering to one day per week in many jurisdictions — while others opted to stay below a volume limit — as authorities try to dramatically reduce urban water use amid the record-breaking drought fueled by the warming climate.

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U.S. Department of Energy Announces $8 Million for Technologies to Increase Hydropower Flexibility

/in , , /by /Energy.gov

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced $8 million in funding to support projects that will improve the flexibility of the U.S. hydropower fleet and enhance electric grid reliability.

Hydropower is a flexible resource, meaning it can supply electricity immediately or store it to meet real-time demand. By improving flexibility, these projects will strengthen hydropower’s ability to support an evolving electric grid that includes an increasing amount of variable renewable energy sources.

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Pentagon Reports High Levels of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water Near Bases

/in , , /by /FOX 5 San Diegoby Rachel Frazin

The Defense Department is reporting high levels of toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water near several of its bases, according to new data released by the department.

Drinking water testing near bases in Washington state, Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan found levels of the chemicals well above a health threshold set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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In This SF Bay Area County, You Can Rat on Water Wasters Who May Face Fines Up to $10,000

/in , , /by /SF Gateby Amy Graff

It’s a sign the drought is worsening: One of the largest water districts in the San Francisco Bay Area became the first in the state on Wednesday to introduce a program to fine water wasters who ignore repeated warnings.

Santa Clara Valley Water customers could face fines, as little as $100 and as high as $10,000 in the most extreme cases, for not following rules aimed at reducing outdoor water use.
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California Farmers’ Tequila Dreams

/in , , /by /Politicoby Debra Kahn

How bad is California’s drought? Bad enough to make farmers turn to tequila.

About 40 farmers and distillers gathered last week at an inaugural agave symposium at the University of California, Davis, to explore the prospects of growing agave in California and making alcohol from it.

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California Gears Up for a New Composting Law to Cut Methane Emissions and Enrich Soil

/in , , /by /Inside Climate Newsby Grace van Deelen

California’s jurisdictions have begun reducing organic wastes under a new composting law that takes effect in 2025, changing the landscape of waste management and making compost more accessible to farmers and cities alike.

Senate Bill 1383, passed in 2016 to curtail emissions of methane and other “super pollutants,” requires local governments in California to reduce the amount of green waste (food scraps and yard trimmings) sent to the landfill by 75 percent before 2025.

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Toxic Blue-Green Algae That Can Kill Dogs Spotted in California. How to Identify and Avoid It

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Hanh Truong

With temperatures heating up, it might be tempting to take a dip in the river or let your dog dehydrate at the shore after a walk, but you might want to think twice.

Toxic blue-green algae, known for causing negative health effects in people and animals who’ve been exposed to it, has bloomed in central California at the San Luis Reservoir in Merced County, according to a release from Department of Water Resources on May 31.

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How San Diego Secured its Water Supply, at a Cost

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Suman Naishadham Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

As a worsening drought forces millions of Californians to face mandatory water restrictions, one corner of Southern California has largely shielded itself from supply-related woes: San Diego County.

For Western water planners, the path it took to get there serves either as a blueprint or a cautionary tale.

Over the past three decades, San Diego County diversified its water supply, ramped up conservation and invested in big-ticket water infrastructure including the Western hemisphere’s largest desalination plant, which removes salt and impurities from ocean water. As a result, the water agency that serves 24 water utilities including the city of San Diego says it can avoid cuts until at least 2045, even during dry periods.

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Former Southern Nevada Water Authority Chief ‘Very Worried’ About Lake Mead Level

/in , , /by /KNPRby Christopher Alvarez and Kristen DeSilva

Lake Mead, the lifeblood of the West, is at an all-time low.

And just this week, officials said it will fall by one-third of its current level by the end of 2023.

Inch by inch, the lake is falling. We’re seeing incredible images of sunken boats now visible.

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