Author: Edward Ring

Edward Ring is the director of water and energy policy for the California Policy Center, which he co-founded in 2013 and served as its first president. The California Policy Center is an educational non-profit focused on public policies that aim to improve California’s democracy and economy. He is also a senior fellow of the Center for American Greatness. Ring is the author of two books: "Fixing California - Abundance, Pragmatism, Optimism" (2021), and "The Abundance Choice - Our Fight for More Water in California" (2022).

Ringside: Rehydrating the Los Angeles Heat Island

February 21, 2025 7:00 amFebruary 21, 2025 7:07 am

Along with the fairly recent popularization of terms such as atmospheric river and bomb cyclone, we increasingly hear the term “vapor pressure deficit” (VPD). At any given temperature, the term refers to how much moisture is in the air compared...

Ringside: Twelve Scarcity Enabling Laws to Scrap

February 13, 2025 7:30 amFebruary 13, 2025 7:31 am

Last week, as a representative of the California Policy Center, I had the opportunity to testify before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee at a hearing on the topic of “California Fires and the Consequences of Overregulation.” While my remarks...

Ringside: Conditions President Trump Can Put on California’s Federal Relief Funds

February 10, 2025 4:45 pmFebruary 10, 2025 5:02 pm

What can President Donald Trump do to pressure Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature to manage the state’s water projects in a way that doesn’t simply offset the federal efforts? What leverage does he have, if for every federal...

Ringside: Ten State Water Laws to Scrap

January 30, 2025 8:10 amJanuary 30, 2025 9:55 am

There are two ways we can respond as Californians to the wildfires in Los Angeles, and for those who share this concern, to the climate crisis which they cite as an underlying cause. We can ration our consumption and retreat...

Ringside: Quantifying the Upside of More Lawns

January 22, 2025 2:47 pmJanuary 22, 2025 2:47 pm

A respected advocate for farming interests in California once explained to me that every acre of lawn requires 5 acre feet of water per year. The unsubtle implication was that the more lawn we kill, the less water we waste....

Ringside: The Fire Next Time

January 16, 2025 11:43 amJanuary 16, 2025 11:43 am

Given our mission to review and recommend water and energy policies and projects, it would be negligent to ignore the horrific firestorms that have torn through Los Angeles County. And before beginning, we must acknowledge that no amount of preparation...

Ringside: The Many Colors of Hydrogen

January 9, 2025 12:03 pmJanuary 9, 2025 12:04 pm

The lightest and most abundant substance in the universe, the simplest possible molecule, hydrogen (H2), is touted as the clean burning fuel of the future. Zero pollution. But how can hydrogen be extracted or manufactured in its pure form, and...