There is a cycle to the conversation about infrastructure and how to pay for it. And it goes like this in California: A few politicians say that infrastructure – roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, dams and more – are the lifeblood of economic prosperity. Editorial boards point out that Gov. Pat Brown and the Legislature of […]
In 2014, California voters approved a $7.5 billion bond that would go to several water projects. So far, only 2 percent of the money has been used, and the rest has been sitting in a fund, untapped. In light of the Oroville Dam scare in early February, lawmakers are looking to focus their attention on […]
The impacts of California’s catastrophic floods will not end when the water subsides. Even as drought conditions disappear it’s a safe bet that the politics of water won’t wane. The pictures are out there to be seen on the web. Flooded farmland as far as the eye can see; homes and businesses under water; and, […]
Water stopped cascading down Oroville Dam’s fractured main spillway Monday, revealing a gaping wound from a beating that lasted nearly three weeks. Dam operators gradually scaled back water releases to zero over a six-hour period, providing breathing room for construction crews trying to clear debris from a badly choked Feather River channel and restart the dam’s […]
Operators of Oroville Dam – the nation’s highest – shut down its main spillway Monday so that debris could be cleared and the dam’s hydroelectric turbines could be restarted. It was merely the latest of many operational adjustments state and federal officials have made this year to cope with an unprecedented series of rain and […]
/in California and the U.S./by Mike Lee /T&D World (Overland Park, Kan.)by Rick Bush Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority
Some technologies just seem to make sense. But everything has to line up correctly for a technology to move forward. When I was in Switzerland five or six years ago, the Swiss were considering putting in pumped storage so that low-cost wind from the north and low-cost solar from the south could be stored and […]
OPINION: After California Floods, Infrastructure Is Suddenly Sexy
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Fresno BeeThere is a cycle to the conversation about infrastructure and how to pay for it. And it goes like this in California: A few politicians say that infrastructure – roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, dams and more – are the lifeblood of economic prosperity. Editorial boards point out that Gov. Pat Brown and the Legislature of […]
Water Bond Money To Go To Fixing Deteriorating Infrastructure Across The State
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Bakersfield Nowby Kahtia HallIn 2014, California voters approved a $7.5 billion bond that would go to several water projects. So far, only 2 percent of the money has been used, and the rest has been sitting in a fund, untapped. In light of the Oroville Dam scare in early February, lawmakers are looking to focus their attention on […]
BLOG: Lessons Learned From Floods And Misguided Priorities
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Western FarmPressby Todd FitchetteThe impacts of California’s catastrophic floods will not end when the water subsides. Even as drought conditions disappear it’s a safe bet that the politics of water won’t wane. The pictures are out there to be seen on the web. Flooded farmland as far as the eye can see; homes and businesses under water; and, […]
Giant Chasm Revealed As Water Stops Flowing At Oroville Dam
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan Sabalow and Dale KaslerWater stopped cascading down Oroville Dam’s fractured main spillway Monday, revealing a gaping wound from a beating that lasted nearly three weeks. Dam operators gradually scaled back water releases to zero over a six-hour period, providing breathing room for construction crews trying to clear debris from a badly choked Feather River channel and restart the dam’s […]
OPINION: Faced With Crisis, California Water Managers Stepped Up
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Dan WaltersOperators of Oroville Dam – the nation’s highest – shut down its main spillway Monday so that debris could be cleared and the dam’s hydroelectric turbines could be restarted. It was merely the latest of many operational adjustments state and federal officials have made this year to cope with an unprecedented series of rain and […]
P.S. (Pumped Storage), I Love You
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /T&D World (Overland Park, Kan.)by Rick Bush Mentioned: San Diego County Water AuthoritySome technologies just seem to make sense. But everything has to line up correctly for a technology to move forward. When I was in Switzerland five or six years ago, the Swiss were considering putting in pumped storage so that low-cost wind from the north and low-cost solar from the south could be stored and […]