Feelings were running high—and interest was evident—as hundreds of people turned out for our fall conference last week in Sacramento. The lunchtime program featured a panel of five experts representing water interests from across the state. The day opened with a short video celebrating the PPIC Water Policy Center’s first 10 years, followed by a welcome by center director Letitia […]
When Cornell University systems engineer Fengqi You started modeling the environmental footprint of data centers three years ago, the A.I. boom was just beginning. Even then, You and his colleagues noticed something missing from the conversation. “When we started this, we saw that A.I. was growing very fast,” You said. “It was clear it would […]
Since Oct. 1, downtown L.A. has gotten 4.14 inches of rain, quite a bit more than the average 0.89 inches. For November, the average over the last 30 years is just 0.78 inches, but we’ve had 2.82 inches so far. This is currently the 19th wettest November since 1877, and given that there’s more rain […]
On Main Street in Santa Monica, Calif., a parking lot sits between the courthouse and a boarded-up convention center. Visitors looking for a parking spot or charging their electric vehicles would never guess that a world-class water management system churning out millions of gallons of purified water sits underneath it. The city’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project […]
A late fall storm that soaked the North State and brought high wind gust is padding rain totals for what has been a wet start to Northern California’s water year. As of Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Redding Regional Airport had received 4.24 inches of rain since Oct. 1, which was the start of 2025-26 water […]
California’s wild salmon have faced just about every obstacle imaginable over the decades as they now cling to survival. Dams have blocked where they are supposed to spawn. Levees deny young fish the floodplain for feasting. Pumps send them in deadly wrong directions. But all the previous man-made threats to the salmon have nothing on […]
How California Water Can Navigate a Changing Federal Partnership
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Public Policy Institute of Californiaby Sarah BardeenFeelings were running high—and interest was evident—as hundreds of people turned out for our fall conference last week in Sacramento. The lunchtime program featured a panel of five experts representing water interests from across the state. The day opened with a short video celebrating the PPIC Water Policy Center’s first 10 years, followed by a welcome by center director Letitia […]
U.S. Data Centers Could Consume as Much Water as 10 Million Americans by Decade’s End
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Yale Environment 360When Cornell University systems engineer Fengqi You started modeling the environmental footprint of data centers three years ago, the A.I. boom was just beginning. Even then, You and his colleagues noticed something missing from the conversation. “When we started this, we saw that A.I. was growing very fast,” You said. “It was clear it would […]
November Deluge Breaks Rainfall Records. New Storm Will Bring Snow to Southern California
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /LAist.comby Jacob MargolisSince Oct. 1, downtown L.A. has gotten 4.14 inches of rain, quite a bit more than the average 0.89 inches. For November, the average over the last 30 years is just 0.78 inches, but we’ve had 2.82 inches so far. This is currently the 19th wettest November since 1877, and given that there’s more rain […]
A California City’s Groundbreaking Path to Water Self-Sufficiency
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Governing.comOn Main Street in Santa Monica, Calif., a parking lot sits between the courthouse and a boarded-up convention center. Visitors looking for a parking spot or charging their electric vehicles would never guess that a world-class water management system churning out millions of gallons of purified water sits underneath it. The city’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project […]
Recent Rain Boosts Early Totals for 2025-26 Water Year in Northern California
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /Record Searchlightby David BendaA late fall storm that soaked the North State and brought high wind gust is padding rain totals for what has been a wet start to Northern California’s water year. As of Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Redding Regional Airport had received 4.24 inches of rain since Oct. 1, which was the start of 2025-26 water […]
OPINION: As Trump Sends California Water to Farmers, Native Salmon Face Extinction
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Sierra Stewart /The Sacramento Beeby Tom PhilpCalifornia’s wild salmon have faced just about every obstacle imaginable over the decades as they now cling to survival. Dams have blocked where they are supposed to spawn. Levees deny young fish the floodplain for feasting. Pumps send them in deadly wrong directions. But all the previous man-made threats to the salmon have nothing on […]