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: 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...

Ringside: How Newsom Can Achieve ‘Affordability’

December 18, 2024 4:38 pmDecember 18, 2024 4:38 pm

Leadership in the California Legislature claim they’re aware of the cost of living and doing business in the state. In the special session called by Governor Gavin Newsom to “Trump proof” the state, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) said, “We...

Ringside: Is Photovoltaic Power Competitive?

December 13, 2024 2:55 amDecember 13, 2024 2:56 am

As reported in Politico on 10/29, “Westlands Water District, which supplies some of California’s driest farmland in the Central Valley, is making plans to convert some 200 square miles of it — an area roughly the size of Detroit — into what would...

Ringside: Finding Water for the San Joaquin Valley

December 5, 2024 10:43 amDecember 5, 2024 10:43 am

Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley require roughly 15 million acre feet of water per year to irrigate their crops. In return they produce more than half of all California’s agricultural output. But everything is changing. Since 2000 the amount of...