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Bay Area City Becomes First To Ban Data Centers Over Power and Water Concerns

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicle by Aidin Vaziri

Oakley has become the first Bay Area city to temporarily ban new data centers, signaling a more cautious approach as other parts of Silicon Valley continue to line up projects to meet rising demand for artificial intelligence.

The Oakley City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to impose a 45-day moratorium on data center projects, barring the city from accepting or processing related land-use applications. Under state law, the ban can be extended in phases to last up to two years.

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California Water Commission Approves Updates to State Dam Safety Regulations

/in , /by /ABC 7 Sacramentoby Christina Mendez

California dam safety regulations are set for a significant update after the California Water Commission approved changes proposed by the state Department of Water Resources (DWR) Wednesday, April 15,2026.

Under DWR’s Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), the state proposed additions and modifications to existing dam safety regulations. The Division of Safety of Dams updated Articles Two, Five, Six and Seven to clarify the application process for dam alterations, repairs and removals, as well as time extensions and how unlawfully constructed dams are addressed. The changes also require the State Water Project to cover DSOD labor costs, eliminate hard copies of technical memorandums, allow written hearings and simplify the lien process.

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A Gas That Causes Climate Change Is Bubbling out of Reservoirs

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Methane, the second-biggest contributor to climate change, is spewing into the atmosphere from the oil and gas industry, landfills and dairy farms. It’s also coming from another lesser-known source: reservoirs.

As plants break down underwater, they form methane, which then bubbles to the surface. California doesn’t monitor how much is coming from these waters, but now several environmental groups are urging air regulators to find out, and some experts agree it’s important.

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Years of Drought Has Major Energy Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, Wrestling With Water Crisis

/in , /by /Fox 5 San Diegoby Michael Phillis

In parched southern Texas, a yearslong drought has depleted Corpus Christi’s water reserves so gravely that the city is scrambling to prevent a shortage that could force painful cutbacks for residents and hobble the refineries and petrochemical plants in a major energy port.

Experts said the city didn’t expect such a bad drought, and new sources of reliable water didn’t arrive as expected. Those problems arose as the city increased its water sales to big industrial customers.

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Eastern Sierra Snowpack Drastically Below Average, Expected To Meet 40% of L.A.’s Water Demand, LADWP Says

/in , /by /KTLA 5by John Ross Ferrara

The snowpack in the Eastern Sierra is currently 76% below average for this time of year, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power announced Tuesday following its final snow survey of 2026.

Warmer-than-average temperatures caused California’s snowpack to melt faster than normal this year, LADWP said. The below-average water supply will meet 40% of L.A.’s demand for the rest of the year, supplying roughly 81 billion gallons of water to the city.

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What Does 200 Years Tell Us About Corpus Christi and Water?

/in , /by /Corpus Christi Caller Timesby Kirsten Crow

As Corpus Christi continues a fierce fight against the impacts of record-breaking drought, what led to this point reflects the history of hundreds of years of water development, according to an academic expert.

While there are differences compared to some of the earlier political dynamics in the state — and while the stakes have grown greater — “when I first started seeing articles about the Corpus Christi situation, I was struck immediately by this sense that sometimes things never change,” said Kenna Archer, an associate professor of history at Angelo State University.

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California’s Largest and Most Polluted Lake Gets a New Conservancy

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Deborah Brennan

California has launched the Salton Sea Conservancy, a new state agency to oversee restoration, manage habitat and improve air quality at the deteriorating inland lake.

On Friday Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of a 20-member conservancy board, with members from state agencies, Riverside and Imperial County governments, local water districts, tribal groups and public organizations. The new conservancy is the first created in California in more than 15 years, since the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy was established in 2010.

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‘Strong’ El Niño May Be Brewing. Here’s What It Could Mean for Southern California

/in , /by /NBC Los Angelesby Monica Garske

After two winters of La Niña, an official “El Niño Watch” is underway, the National Weather Service Climate Protection Center said Thursday.

In its latest ENSO Alert System Status report, the Climate Protection Center said there’s a 61% chance that an El Niño is “likely to emerge” between this May and June, and “persist through at least the end of 2026.”

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Interior Chief Pursues Colorado River Water Deal During Las Vegas Visit

/in , /by /Las Vegas Review-Journalby Ricardo Torres-Cortez

U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum reiterated Tuesday that the federal government favors a negotiated deal between the seven states that share Colorado River water over the resource’s allocation rather than a protracted legal battle.

During a Las Vegas Valley visit, Burgum said the federal government will continue pushing for a possible deal before the current 20-year-old one expires in the coming months.

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Will Data Centers Threaten California’s Water? It’s Complicated.

/in , /by /Public Policy Institute of Californiaby Sarah Bardeen, Annalise Blum

The explosive growth in data centers is fueling concerns in California, as well as across the country, about water and energy use. Some have gone as far as to propose a water usage fee on data centers. However, others argue that data center water use is just a drop in the bucket compared to other uses or that most data centers are moving toward less water-intensive practices, such as reusing water in closed-loop systems.

To help us understand what we do and don’t know about California data centers and water use, we spoke with Dr. Marie Grimm, an environmental policy research fellow at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment, about their new report “Regulating Data Center Water Use in California.”

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