Drought is typically thought of as a simple lack of rain and snow. But evaporative demand—a term describing the atmosphere’s capacity to pull moisture from the ground—is also a major factor. And the atmosphere over much of the U.S. has grown a lot thirstier over the past 40 years, a new study in the Journal of Hydrometeorology found. […]
Energy storage technology may be the singular, most important component in our nation’s transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, since utility-scale, battery systems provide the flexibility to absorb, store and deploy energy at locations where and when the power is most needed. Energy storage is crucial to replacing America’s fleet of polluting, fossil […]
Bakersfield and Kern County have been in drought mode since the end of last year with restrictions and cutbacks in place to try and save as much water as possible as we head into the hot summer months. But water officials and growers are concerned as the flow from the Upper Kern into Lake Isabella […]
The Colorado River Compact turns 100 this year, but any celebration is damped down by the drying-up of the big reservoirs it enabled. The Bureau of Reclamation’s “first-ever” shortage declaration on the river acknowledges officially what we’ve known for years: the Compact and all the measures augmenting it, collectively known as The Law of the […]
With the Colorado River’s depleted reservoirs continuing to drop to new lows, the federal government has taken the unprecedented step of telling the seven Western states that rely on the river to find ways of drastically cutting the amount of water they take in the next two months. The Interior Department is seeking the emergency […]
During a U.S. Senate hearing on Western drought earlier this week, the commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation told the states in the Colorado River Basin that they have 60 days to create an emergency plan to stop using between 2 and 4 million acre-feet of water in the next year or the agency will use its […]
Skies Are Sucking More Water from the Land
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Scientific Americanby Ula ChrobakDrought is typically thought of as a simple lack of rain and snow. But evaporative demand—a term describing the atmosphere’s capacity to pull moisture from the ground—is also a major factor. And the atmosphere over much of the U.S. has grown a lot thirstier over the past 40 years, a new study in the Journal of Hydrometeorology found. […]
Opinion: ‘All Hands on Deck’ for the Energy Storage Industry
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Utility Diveby Kelly SarberEnergy storage technology may be the singular, most important component in our nation’s transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, since utility-scale, battery systems provide the flexibility to absorb, store and deploy energy at locations where and when the power is most needed. Energy storage is crucial to replacing America’s fleet of polluting, fossil […]
Kern County Officials, Growers Concerned About Lake Isabella Water Levels
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /23ABCby Mike HartBakersfield and Kern County have been in drought mode since the end of last year with restrictions and cutbacks in place to try and save as much water as possible as we head into the hot summer months. But water officials and growers are concerned as the flow from the Upper Kern into Lake Isabella […]
Opinion: The Colorado River Compact Hasn’t Aged Well | Writers on the Range
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Tribuneby George SibleyThe Colorado River Compact turns 100 this year, but any celebration is damped down by the drying-up of the big reservoirs it enabled. The Bureau of Reclamation’s “first-ever” shortage declaration on the river acknowledges officially what we’ve known for years: the Compact and all the measures augmenting it, collectively known as The Law of the […]
As Colorado River Reservoirs Drop, Western States Urged to ‘Act Now’
/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Ian JamesWith the Colorado River’s depleted reservoirs continuing to drop to new lows, the federal government has taken the unprecedented step of telling the seven Western states that rely on the river to find ways of drastically cutting the amount of water they take in the next two months. The Interior Department is seeking the emergency […]
Colorado River States Need to Drastically Cut Down Their Water Usage ASAP, or the Federal Government Will Step in
/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /CPR Newsby Michael Elizabeth SakasDuring a U.S. Senate hearing on Western drought earlier this week, the commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation told the states in the Colorado River Basin that they have 60 days to create an emergency plan to stop using between 2 and 4 million acre-feet of water in the next year or the agency will use its […]