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Opinion: Blackouts Expose Need for Expanding Energy Storage

The sad reality is that the blackouts rolling across California this past week were both predictable and avoidable. The silver lining is that future blackouts across California are avoidable – if we invest in large-scale energy storage projects to provide on-demand power.

Energy analysts have warned for years that California’s embrace of renewable energy sources – while laudable – create significant risks that can and should be addressed to sustain our economy and quality of life while maintaining progress toward the state’s climate goals. What no one could have known was that we’d be roiled by a pandemic and a recession when the energy grid’s weaknesses were exposed for everyone to see.

New Lake Jennings Boat Dock Open

A new floating boat dock at popular reservoir and recreation facility Lake Jennings was unveiled with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 31 and opened to the public for boating and fishing activities.

PFAS Liability: “Sovereign Immunity” Means Companies May Foot the Bill

Environmental watch groups, legislators, the media, and litigators have all squarely focused on PFAS contamination in one primary source – water.  More specifically, drinking water. Environmental groups test local water supplies and report PFAS counts, politicians introduce bills at the state and federal levels to regulate the amount of PFAS permitted in drinking water, the media gives citizens daily news updates on PFAS in drinking water, and lawsuits are increasingly filed for both personal injury and remediation costs.

Drinking Water, Clean Energy, Lithium Bills Pass in California

California’s Senate and Assembly approved a number of bills in the Legislature’s waning hours Monday, including measures that would ensure funding for a safe drinking water fund, make it easier to upgrade schools with clean energy appliances, help electric utilities manage ratepayer deficits related to the coronavirus pandemic, and take other actions.

Opinion: Why Fixing the Nation’s Water Crisis and Combating a Pandemic are Linked

Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic requires access to safe, clean water. While some Americans decry their “loss of freedom” by being told to wear a mask in public spaces, others don’t have the freedom to wash their hands with clean water.

California Public Utilities Commission Fires Executive Director After Staffing Dispute

California utility regulators on Monday chose to fire their top administrative official in response to several allegedly unethical hiring decisions discussed in a recent personnel audit.

California Leads Suit Against Trump Administration Over Weakened Environmental Laws

California and 20 other states sued the Trump administration over its plan to curtail environmental regulations in permitting infrastructure projects that can take years to complete and have long-lasting consequences on land and communities. Led by California and Washington, the lawsuit seeks to block changes the administration has proposed to how the 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act is implemented. It was filed in federal court in San Francisco against the White House Council on Environmental Quality and its chairman, Mary Neumayr.

Opinion: California Must Ensure Water Access During COVID-19 Pandemic

Safe drinking water is a human right and essential during the COVID-19 crisis. And California must do more to ensure water service during concurrent health and economic emergencies.

In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order placing a moratorium on water shutoffs and requiring reconnections for households disconnected after March 4. But months into a crisis, the state lacks data on the impact of the moratorium.

21 States Sue White House Over Rollback of Bedrock Environmental Law

A coalition of 21 states [including California] sued the Trump administration Friday for rolling back what they say is a “rule that is, at its heart, the gutting” of America’s bedrock environmental law.

Opinion: Blackouts Expose Need for Expanding Energy Storage

The sad reality is that the blackouts rolling across California this week were both predictable and avoidable. The silver lining is that future blackouts across California are avoidable – if we invest in large-scale energy storage projects to provide on-demand power.