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California Prepares for Energy Shortfalls in Hot, Dry Summer

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Kathleen Ronayne

California likely will have an energy shortfall equivalent to what it takes to power about 1.3 million homes when use is at its peak during the hot and dry summer months, state officials said Friday.

Threats from drought, extreme heat and wildfires, plus supply chain and regulatory issues hampering the solar industry will create challenges for energy reliability this summer, the officials said. They represented the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, and the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s energy grid.

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Facing a New Climate Reality, Southern California Lawns Could Wither

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

From behind the wheel of his work van, Fernando Gonzalez took in the immaculate front yard amid the arid and affluent hills north of Los Angeles. The red and white rosebushes. The loquat and pear trees. The expanse of lush green grass and the two peacocks lounging beneath the portico.

The stately residence had been consuming about 40,000 gallons of water a month, and had already received a warning and a fine for overuse. Amid the historic drought now entering its third painful summer, Gonzalez’s employer, the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, has demanded this home and millions of others cut irrigation by 35 percent as of June 1.

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It’s Not Even Summer, and California’s Two Largest Reservoirs Are at ‘Critically Low’ Levels

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Rosanna Xia

At a point in the year when California’s water storage should be at its highest, the state’s two largest reservoirs have already dropped to critically low levels — a sobering outlook for the hotter and drier months ahead.

Shasta Lake, which rises more than 1,000 feet above sea level when filled to the brim, is at less than half of where it usually should be in early May — the driest it has been at this time of year since record-keeping first began in 1976. Lake Oroville, the largest reservoir in the State Water Project, a roughly 700-mile lifeline that pumps and ferries water all the way to Southern California, is currently at 55% of total capacity.

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DNA-Based Water Testing System Launched for San Diego Beaches

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Ashley Mackin-Solomon

San Diego County has started using new ocean water-quality testing technology intended to produce faster results and earlier warnings when bacteria reach unhealthy levels.

During a rollout of the DNA-based technology last week, county Board of Supervisors Vice Chairwoman Nora Vargas said the county plans to expand its use of the testing technology, known as droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, or ddPCR, to more than 70 miles of shoreline that the county samples and tests to help protect the public.

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New San Diego Ocean Water Testing Much Faster

/in , /by /KPBSby Erik Anderson

San Diego County is using new, high-tech tests that will allow officials to test ocean water and find out if that water is safe for swimming, in just one day. County supervisor Nora Vargas said the county is the first local government to get U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval to use the new, sophisticated tests. The switch is the culmination of years of testing.

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San Diego County Students Discover Practical Water Solutions

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

On April 28, the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors showcased this year’s group of award winners from the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair. The Water Authority has judged water-related projects in the fair for several decades as part of an effort to support STEM education in the region and inspire young people to pursue careers in the water industry.

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Opinion: Huntington Beach Desalination Plant is a Crucial Tool in California’s Climate Change Arsenal

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Mark Donovan

On May 12, the California Coastal Commission is expected to consider final approval of the Huntington Beach desalination plant. Poseidon Water has weaved through the state’s complex and evolving regulatory landscape for nearly two decades in pursuit of that development permit.

Signing off on this project would demonstrate that seawater desalination — a proven water resource technology relied upon around the world to combat the effects of climate change and drought — has a future in California.

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Marin Water Board Rescinds Emergency Declaration for New Watering Rules

/in , , /by /CBS Bay Area

The Marin Water Board of Directors rescinded the county’s water shortage emergency declaration and updated its water use rules this week, adopting new requirements for outdoor irrigation and swimming pools.

A water emergency in Marin County was declared in the fall of 2021 after reserves reached critically low levels. According to the water board, the county’s reservoirs are way up and are currently at 90 percent capacity due to record rainfall that arrived in October and December of last year.

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Water Districts Targeting Wasteful Residents as Historically Bad Drought Continues

/in , , /by /CBSLA

Californians continue to get hit with water conservation restrictions while in the midst of one of the worst droughts in state history. Now, some water districts are taking another step towards limiting waste from residents who have incurred multiple violations in recent months.

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Opinion: Newsom’s Pragmatism on Desalination, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Makes Sense

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

A strong case can be made that modern environmentalism was born in California. In 1864, Yosemite Valley and a nearby grove of sequoias became the nation’s first publicly protected wilderness area. Exactly 100 years later, after many other environmental landmarks, the state issued the world’s first tailpipe-emission standards.

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