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An Australian company hopes to build a massive geothermal power plant by the Salton Sea, in a development that could raise hopes for clean energy advocates and supporters of Salton Sea restoration.

The Imperial Irrigation District’s board of directors voted Monday to approve a 1,900-acre lease agreement with Controlled Thermal Resources, which has proposed a 250-megawatt geothermal plant along the lake’s southern shore, near Calipatria. The facility would generate five times as much electricity as any of the 11 existing geothermal plants in the area.

U-T Watchdog made an unusual records request to mark Sunshine Week, a nationwide push to raise awareness of government transparency issues. We asked local agencies to search official employee email accounts for 19 phrases that might indicate trouble is afoot(“Yekes,” “OMG,” “what a disaster”). The costs quoted to fulfill the requests varied widely.

Rising sea levels and soaring temperatures caused by climate change could exacerbate California’s water shortage and increase stress on its most important natural resources, according to a federal report released Tuesday.
Climate change could raise average temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountain range by more than 5 degrees by the late 21st century and sea water is likely to intrude further into California’s vital freshwater holding tank – the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – according to predictions by the Bureau of Reclamation. The study says global warming could cause a median sea level rise of 36 inches and flood the delta with salt water.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and two other western water agencies will take part in a federal program that solicits ideas for water-saving devices and technologies and awards grants to develop them, officials announced Wednesday.

Also taking part in the innovative Conservation Program — a project of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation — are the Central Arizona Project and Southern Nevada Water Authority. Southern California Gas Co. also participates in the program.

Although Southern California has experienced several recent storms, including one just last week, such is simply a drop in the bucket when it comes to the state’s ongoing drought, experts say.

In Northern California, the snowpack is 110 percent of what it usually is this time of year. Everywhere else, it is 75 percent.

With those numbers, though, some are wondering whether it’s time to start easing up on the state’s water conservation measures.

Not so fast, says CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Josh Rubenstein.