Nothing’s changed in the long run; California is still aiming to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. But with one marker along the way – parity with 1990 emissions by 2020 – apparently in the bag, Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday set a bold new interim target: a reduction of… Keep reading →
Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant owner Pacific Gas & Electric has issued a couple of seismic studies in the past year – one last September and then another last month. The latest conclusion from the utility: “New Analyses Show Diablo Canyon Safe From Extreme Natural Events.” But Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer is skeptical of PG&E… Keep reading →
It’s inevitable. In comments to nearly every story about California’s drought, someone will rage that if Gov. Jerry Brown really wanted to do something to save water, he’d put an end to fracking in the state. This line of thinking was highlighted on social media recently when the Sierra Club tweeted a link to a… Keep reading →
“The potential of air strikes on Yemen by Saudi Arabia, the biggest oil producer in OPEC, could throw world oil markets into volatility.” While Yemen contributes less than 0.2 percent of global oil output, its location puts it near the center of world energy trade. The nation shares a border with Saudi Arabia, the world’s… Keep reading →
Actually, California Got 7.4 Percent of Its Electricity from Solar in 2014 Federal energy number-crunchers reported on Tuesday that in 2014, California became the first state to generate 5 percent of its electricity from utility-scale solar power. A decade ago, in 2005, solar’s contribution in California was just 0.26 percent of generation, so ramping… Keep reading →
California is in uncharted territory as their severe drought drags on and water reserves drop to their lowest points ever, with no relief in sight. Jay Famiglietti, a senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory detailed the issues in a recent LA Times Op-Ed. “As our ‘wet’ season draws to a close, it… Keep reading →
Farmers in California are facing another water crisis with the federal government confirming it won’t send any of its reservoir water to the Central Valley. “Many farmers had been bracing for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s announcement as California’s drought enters its fourth year. Some farms are exempt from complete cuts under California’s antiquated water… Keep reading →
There’s another Gold Rush in California – only now renewable energy is the precious commodity, and big corporations are the prospectors. Last week Apple struck solar and Google mined wind. Now Kaiser Permanente has discovered both. The giant health-care company announced a threefer on Wednesday: The purchase of 43 megawatts of wind power from… Keep reading →
Is that massive Apple solar play that made news on Tuesday burnishing the tech titan’s green cred? It might be, but environmentalists aren’t thrilled about the whole thing. Not that they’ve got anything against Apple – or solar power, they say. Kim Delfino is California director of the group Defenders of Wildlife, an organization that has… Keep reading →
50 Percent Renewable Energy for California’s Grid Achievable with Smart Choices
By Michael O’Boyle & Hal HarveyDuring his State of the State address, Governor Brown proposed a goal of 50 percent renewable energy on California’s electric grid by 2030. Since then, State Senators and Assembly Members have introduced bills to turn the goal into law. The bills are quite clear on the 50 percent goal, but scant on details, raising the… Keep reading →