The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is giving away more than $1 million a year in ratepayer money to charities and nonprofits, an investigation by CBS2’s David Goldstein has uncovered. He also found money going to one non-profit that has a DWP executive sitting on the board.
If the blowup over President Trump’s new solar tariff proves anything, it proves that the renewable energy transition is inevitable. A new hydroelectricity project for the City of San Diego, California is a case in point. The city recently raised the level of an existing hydropower dam to hold more water, and now it is considering a massive new energy storage element that would help the grid support more wind and solar power.
Helix Water District customers like the service they’re getting, are mindful of water conservation, believe the water they get is a good value for what they pay, and like the taste of the water they’re drinking from their taps. East County customers also like Lake Jennings and The Water Conservation Garden, according to Probe Research, Inc., a company that was paid $21,700 to conduct a customer survey for Helix.
Amajor U.S. beer manufacturer’s decision to build a giant production plant in Baja California’s desert capital has been cause for much celebration in Gov. Francisco Vega de Lamadrid’s administration. But not everybody is applauding. Constellation Brands, maker of Modelo and Corona beers, finds itself in the crossfire of a bitter dispute. On one side are government officials who are vowing to see the project through; on the other, opponents determined to shut it down, saying the plant will use a large amount of water that should go to local farmers.
That’s a year’s supply for two million households. MWD’s report says most of the water savings were accomplished through using less outdoors, as drought-tolerant landscaping replaced turf lawns, and smart timers controlled sprinklers to not overwater. Our low-flow toilets and super-efficient washing machines saved water indoors. The agency spent about $45 million in 2017 on rebates, education programs and ads to encourage conservation.
Strong Santa Ana winds whipped across San Diego County Sunday, prompting a utility company to shut off power to about 2,500 customers as a precaution and making play more challenging at the Farmers Insurance Open in Torrey Pines. The winds help push temperatures to record levels in Vista, Oceanside Harbor and El Cajon, and tied records in Chula Vista and Ramona. San Diego International Airport reported a high of 82 — 18 degrees above average.
Two noteworthy items related to the Salton Sea were unveiled at the recent Southern California Energy Water Summit. First, the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership released a report entitled “Revitalized Salton Sea-Analysis of Potential Economic Benefits-December 2017.” The report basically says that the Coachella Valley will benefit (avoided loss of visitors) economically if the Salton Sea is revitalized at cost of $1.1 billion. Is this report getting valley residents and businesses primed for picking up the tab? I hope not.
In the early 1990s, Steve Martin starred as a television weatherman in the movie “L.A. Story.” He humorously prerecorded his weather broadcasts, since the temperature and lack of humidity were the same day after day. Our local weather had been consistent, too — very dry. Bone dry, in fact, until Jan. 8, 2018. The California Water Year begins Oct 1. Last year, from Oct. 1 to Dec. 20, there was only 0-5 percent of normal precipitation in San Diego, making November 2017 the driest November on record.
Every year, Californians get a report card from their water department telling them if something is wrong with their water. These polished brochures typically begin by laying out all the great things water agencies are doing with ratepayer money. It would be easy to just throw them away. But near the end is series of hard-to-decipher charts that show what sort of contaminants have been found in their drinking water. These are things, like bacteria, that could make someone sick immediately and others, like disinfectant byproducts, that could give someone cancer over time.
Infrastructure EPC company Black & Veatch will evaluate proposals received for a 500MW pumped hydro energy storage facility in San Diego, California. San Diego Water Authority issued a request for proposals (RfP) for the plant last summer, with a 12 September 2017 deadline for submissions. The RfP was for a facility with 5-8 hours energy storage duration, to help support the stability of the local grid at peak times and to integrate local renewable energy production, mostly solar PV.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
