You are now in California and the U.S. Media Coverage category.

Why Hydropower Is the Forgotten Giant of Clean Energy

/in , /by /CNBCby Katie Brigham

Hydropower is by far the largest renewable worldwide, producing over twice as much energy as wind, and over four times as much as solar. And pumping water up a hill, aka “pumped storage hydropower”, comprises well over 90% of the world’s total energy storage capacity.

But in spite of hydropower’s outsize impact, we don’t hear much about it in the U.S. While the past few decades have seen wind and solar plummet in price and skyrocket in availability, domestic hydropower generation has remained relatively steady, as the nation has already built hydropower plants in the most geographically ideal locations.

Full Story

Harris Unveils White House Plan to Tackle Water Scarcity as National Security Priority

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Courtney Subramanian and Ian James

Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday unveiled a White House plan to tackle water security as a foreign policy priority in light of ever tightening global water supplies.

The plan pledges U.S. leadership in the efforts to ensure there is enough water to support food supplies and healthcare systems. Under the initiative, the U.S. government will also spearhead ways to defuse potential disputes over access to water, Harris said.

Full Story

Could the Colorado River Compact Adapt to Go With the Flow?

/in , , /by /E&E Newsby Jennifer Yachnin

Dwindling flows in the Colorado River Basin are stirring discussions about whether a 100-year-old agreement that governs how that water is divided needs to be overhauled. But there may be another option: don’t rewrite the law, instead reinterpret it.

Despite its status as the cornerstone of the “Law of the River” — the various agreements that dictate how the water is managed between seven basin states and Mexico — some key provisions in the Colorado River Compact remain unsettled.

Full Story

A Thirsty State

/in , /by /CalMattersby Ben Christopher

So it begins.

More than 6 million water users (that is, humans) across Southern California woke up on Wednesday to find themselves under new drought restrictions.

If you’ve been following the numbers, none of this should be surprising

Full Story

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.

Full Story

East County Breaks Ground on Wastewater Recycling Plant

/in , , /by /KPBSby Thomas Fudge

People wearing business suits and hard hats broke ground Wednesday in Santee for the East County Advanced Water Purification Plant.

It’s part of a plan of four East County water agencies to take wastewater, that’s now treated and dumped in the ocean, and turn it into water that’s clean enough to drink.

The water recycling plant is expected to provide 11.5 million gallons a day of purified wastewater for East County ratepayers.

Full Story

Crews Break Ground on $950M Water Purification Plant in East County

/in , /by /NBC 7 San Diego

The East County Advanced Water Purification Program broke ground Wednesday, marking an important milestone for the project, which could purify up to 11.5 million gallons of water per day when it’s completed.

Program representatives, elected officials and water industry leaders gathered Wednesday at the future site of the treatment facility in Santee. The project was approved on May 19 by the East County AWP Joint Powers Authority, which owns and operates the program, and is a collaborative partnership between four agencies: Padre Dam, the city of El Cajon, the county of San Diego and the Helix Water District.

Full Story

Work Begins on Recycling Plant to Supply 30% of East County’s Drinking Water

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Debbie L. Sklar

The East County Advanced Water Purification Program broke ground Wednesday, marking an important milestone for the project, which could recycle up to 11.5 million gallons of water per day when it’s completed.

Program representatives, elected officials, and water industry leaders gathered Wednesday at the future site of the treatment facility in Santee.

Full Story

San Diego County’s Water Supply is in a Good Spot, But it Comes at a Cost

/in , /by /10 News San Diegoby Sophia Hernandez Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Starting Wednesday, residents in much of Southern California will have to limit how much water they use. The Metropolitan Water District declared a water shortage emergency in April and took the unprecedented action of limiting outdoor watering for millions of residents in Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernadino counties.

Right now, San Diego County is sitting in a really good spot. The San Diego County Water Authority has worked to diversify where our water supply comes from, like from the new water recycling plant in Santee.

Full Story

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.

Full Story