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As California Pins Much of Its Decarbonization Hopes on Energy Storage, SDG&E Opens a New Battery Facility

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

They don’t look like much — 126 cubes, each holding 16 modules of batteries — simply sitting on an expanse of flat land owned by San Diego Gas & Electric off Route 163.

But it’s no exaggeration to say that California’s hopes of decarbonizing its power system depend on developing a vast number of utility-scale energy storage facilities across the state, such as the one SDG&E opened earlier this month in Kearny Mesa.

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Newsom Calls for More Aggressive Water Conservation Amid Third Year of Drought

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Hayley Smith and Jonah Valdez

On the heels of the driest ever start to the year in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday issued a sweeping executive order calling on local water suppliers to implement more aggressive conservation measures as reservoirs dwindle and residents backslide in their efforts to cut back.

Specifically, the order requires that urban water suppliers activate “Level 2″ of their locally customized contingency plans, meaning they must prepare for a shortage of up to 20%.

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Newsom Imposes New California Water Restrictions — Leaves Details to Locals

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Rachel Becker

As a dry summer looms, California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered water suppliers across California to step up their local drought responses, but fell short of requiring water rationing or setting a statewide conservation target.

Despite pressure from experts urging a strong mandate, the order leaves the exact conservation measures up to the urban water providers and major water wholesalers that supply the vast majority of Californians. It does not affect agricultural water providers, or the small water systems that are especially vulnerable to drought.

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Gavin Newsom Proposes Ban on Watering Decorative Grass in California: What That Means

/in , , /by /SF GATEby Amy Graff

Amid California’s worsening drought conditions, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday called on local water agencies to introduce new water-use restrictions and for state regulators to ban watering decorative grass at businesses and institutions, the governor’s office said in a statement.

In the executive order, the governor asks the California State Water Resources Control Board to consider making it illegal to water non-functional grass at commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. The restriction would not include residential lawns or grass used for recreation such as sports fields and parks, the governor’s office said.

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Lake Powell Continues to Disappear as Colorado Hits Pause on Plan to Prop Up Levels

/in , , /by /The Salt Lake Tribuneby Zak Podmore

The Glen Canyon Dam may be one step closer to losing its ability to generate hydropower after water managers in Colorado announced last week that they will stop exploring one proposal to prop up the rapidly depleting levels in Lake Powell.

The plan — known as demand management — would compensate farmers and ranchers for voluntarily stopping irrigation on a temporary basis, sending water that would have been used for agriculture to the reservoir.

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Colorado Hits a “Hard Pause” on Water Demand Management as It Waits for Other States to Catch Up

/in , , /by /The Colorado Sunby Chris Outcalt

Colorado is taking a “hard pause” on investigating the viability of demand management, a program that would allow the state to pay water users to temporarily and voluntarily conserve water and store what’s saved in Lake Powell for future use.

“No more energy spent on this right now,” Colorado Water Conservation Board chair Jaclyn Brown said this week. “Until the facts change; until someone brings us new information.”

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Newsom Broadens Drought Order – But Again Stops Short of Mandatory Urban Water Cutbacks

/in , , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow

Gov. Gavin Newsom, acknowledging the severity of the drought, ordered California cities and other local water agencies Monday to reduce their water usage and tighten their conservation rules.

Newsom, however, continued to resist mandatory statewide cutbacks in urban water use, just as he did last year during the recall campaign. Instead, he ordered urban water agencies to implement the second stage of their water shortage contingency plans — protocols that are to take effect when water shortages approach 20%.

 

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Tijuana Sewage Fix Makes President’s Budget

/in , , /by /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer

My newsletter has become a dumping ground of late for all things Tijuana River sewage crisis, metaphor intended.

This week, an update on the issue I wrote about last week – a stalled, seemingly simple piece of legislation that would allow San Diego to spend $300 million from the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and stop more polluted water from reaching the Pacific Ocean. Chris Helmer, director of environment and natural resources for Imperial Beach, a coastal border town, wanted to know: who in Congress is holding it up?

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San Diego Leaders Travel to Washington D.C. to Lobby for Infrastructure Funding

/in , , /by /KPBS-FM/TVby Kitty Alvarado

A delegation of over 170 local and regional San Diego elected officials, business and nonprofit leaders went to Washington D.C. this week to lobby for infrastructure dollars. This is the 14th year the region has sent a delegation. The annual trip is organized by San Diego’s Regional Chamber of Commerce.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said in a news conference on Monday morning they have dozens of meetings scheduled with federal leaders to make the case for the urgent needs of the region. He and several other delegation members already met with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

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Opinion: Pages From a Farmer: And Then the Rain Never Came

/in , /by /Napa Valley Registerby Carine Hines

Bombtober” some called it, when an incredible atmospheric river drenched the drought-stricken soils and mountains of California. We all danced and rejoiced, and much thought, and may still think, that we made it through the recent stretch of drought. Was it realistic to believe that a few days of heavy rain could undo the harm of months and years of drought? Only if it continued to rain, but it never did.

This winter we experienced the driest January and February in recorded history, which are typically our wettest. And we will not have a “Miracle March”.

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