electricity – California Globe

Ringside: Quantifying the Variables that Determine Our Prosperity

March 27, 2025 7:00 amMarch 27, 2025 7:18 am

It is nearly impossible to read a policy document on the topic of energy or water that won’t make frequent references to carbon. In California, the race to achieve a “carbon neutral” economy by 2045 has spawned a carbon accounting...

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...

California’s New Fuel Standards Hurt the Poor, With Little Environment Benefit

February 11, 2025 10:42 amFebruary 11, 2025 10:48 am

California faces a firestorm, not just on fires, but also on energy. The state government continues to push households to electrify while, at the same time, electricity prices skyrocket. The dual impact of increasing dependence on electricity and a 35...

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: 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: The Numbers Driving California vs. Washington on Energy, Water & Forestry

November 21, 2024 3:30 amNovember 21, 2024 3:31 am

With national election results that have delivered a surprisingly unequivocal result, California’s business interests now find themselves on a political tightrope. On one side, the incoming Trump administration will pursue deregulation that may help businesses remain in California, and on...

Taxpayers Shouldn’t Have to Bail Out Lab-Grown Meat Companies

September 25, 2024 2:55 amSeptember 25, 2024 2:56 am

With many scientists saying climate change is a major future challenge, lawmakers are looking to fund projects that could mitigate potential threats. But this situation has also given rise to conniving lobbyists who exploit climate change to look for government...