October 26, 2020 5:56 PM EDT
If you aren’t already paying attention to energy storage, you should be. While most people admittedly don’t get giddy at the thought of a lithium ion battery, energy experts and policymakers do and they are becoming increasingly excited about the potential role energy storage can play in the future of electricity management. Read more >
October 7, 2020 11:25 AM EDT
A pesar de que algunos políticos siguen ignorando el cambio climático, la ciencia es clara: el cambio climático ya esta aquí, es creado por seres humanos, vienen aún más impactos, y nuestras acciones son importantes.
En este blog destaco varios desafíos que está trayendo el cambio climático para la gestión del agua en California, y cómo el estado y las agencias de gestión de agua pueden responder. Este blog es un resumen de resultados obtenidos a partir de un análisis de proyecciones de modelos climáticos para el estado de California. Los detalles de la investigación se presentan en un artículo científico y en un reporte de UCS titulado Troubled Waters. Read more >
October 6, 2020 7:00 AM EDT
Editor’s note: This post has been revised to reflect the most accurate data on fire acreage in the 1980s. The original relied on data from the NIFC for 1980-1983 and the updated version excludes this period, as the data are less reliable. The 1980s statistics now reflect data from MTBS and CalFire.
California is a state that burns. Like epic snowstorms in Tahoe, fog in San Francisco, and the dry heat of Palm Springs, wildfires are a natural feature of California’s climate—and like all of those, wildfire is changing because of global warming. Rising temperatures are drying out soils, plants, and forests, which then act as fuel for increasingly large fires.
When you’re far from the fires, or when their smoke isn’t cloaking your neighborhood, it can be difficult to conceive of their scale. Here are nine graphics that put this year’s fires into context. Read more >
September 25, 2020 2:11 PM EDT
California is already seeing the impact of climate change, with droughts, heat waves, and of course the unprecedented wildfires seen this summer. If the state follows through on the recent announcement from California’s Governor Newsom setting a target of 100% zero emission new car sales by 2035 and other states and countries follow, we can avoid even worse impacts of climate change. Read more >
Democratizing California’s Most Powerful Regulator
September 25, 2020 2:22 PM EDT
I usually find myself criticizing the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for their energy policy missteps, but right now, the CPUC deserves a round of applause. Yesterday, the CPUC approved important changes to the public comment process that will help ensure people’s voices are heard and that public input actually influences CPUC decisions.
Read more >