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It’s a summer rerun nobody in California wants to see: A repeat of last August’s two straight days of rolling blackouts.
And while hot weather may exacerbate a strained electric grid in the coming months, officials with the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission and the California Independent System Operator are guardedly optimistic there will be no power interruptions this time around.
For one thing, the system operator that manages the electric grid for about 80 percent of the state and the utilities commission estimate there will be 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts of additional power at the ready this summer, compared to 2020. That’s for a system that approaches 50,000 megawatts of capacity at its peak.
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Panel discussion takeaways on the intersection of environmental justice, groundwater management and how to better include diverse stakeholders in natural resource issues.
On March 24, 2021, the
California Groundwater Coalition hosted the virtual 2021 Groundwater Law & Legislation Forum, featuring a keynote address from California’s Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and updates on pending groundwater legislation, DWR’s SGMA implementation, and ACWA’s position on potential bond measures.
One panel focused on the intersection of environmental justice, groundwater management and the role the legislative process can play in bridging the gap between the intent behind strategies designed to bring more diverse voices (especially the voices of entities and individuals more likely to bear a disproportionate burden) to the table and the ultimate outcomes. Given the broad applicability of the takeaways to the inter
A board member of a local water district is defending herself against allegations in a lawsuit that she posted online videos and sent letters invoking the district’s name without the consent of its general manager or the entire board. She’s calling the action “an effort to chill free speech.”
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Friday’s Los Angeles Superior Court filing against Leticia Vasquez-Wilson asks a judge to issue an injunction preventing her from taking such unilateral actions in the future. But in a letter to her fellow board members Tuesday, Vasquez-Wilson stood by her actions and asked that the district compensate her in defending herself against the legal action.
Algae blooms in Clear Lake are a public health risk and increase water treatment costs. Image credit: Brett Walton/Circle of Blue May 4, 2021
On a good day, usually in late winter and early spring, the magnificent waters of Clear Lake seem to live up to their name. Under the shadow of the volcano Mount Konocti, the oldest lake in North America and second largest in California sparkles in an array of blues while fishing boats ply the shallow nearshore, their anglers hoping to hook a trophy bass.
From his office two miles inland, Frank Costner knows that the lake’s waters also shelter a treacherous occupant – potentially toxic blooms of cyanobacteria. As general manager of Konocti County Water District, Costner is responsible for supplying drinking water from Clear Lake to 4,500 people who live in this region a two-hour drive north of San Francisco.
Unpaid Utility Bills Are Disproportionately Piling Up in L.A.’s Communities of Color
Between 25% and 30% of Angelenos have unpaid energy and water bills, with debts unevenly impacting Black, Latino, and low-income neighborhoods.
A new report authored by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and Center for Neighborhood Knowledge measures the extent of utility debt accumulation among customers served by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Disparities in unpaid bills predate COVID-19 but have deepened since the pandemic’s outbreak. Using data from a November 2020 California State Water Resources Control Board survey, the researchers found one-quarter to one-third of all Los Angeles households faced financial difficulties paying for their utilities.