If there is anything that might constitute an overwhelming institutional consensus in California, it’s that we are experiencing climate change, and that one of the consequences will be more rain, less snow, and more so-called whiplash between very wet years and very dry years. In an average year these days, 30 million acre feet of water flows […]
When it comes to building water supply infrastructure, even if regulations are streamlined and litigation is contained, there are massive costs. Quantifying these variables is something we have focused on a great deal, most recently in WC#96, “The Economics of the Delta Tunnel.” In that and other reports we’ve offered a highly simplified cost/benefit equation: divide […]
For the last few decades in California, the conventional wisdom has been that farmers and urban water consumers have to improve efficiency and reduce consumption. To the fullest extent possible, rain and snow falling on watersheds must proceed unimpaired from the mountains to the ocean, and if water is reserved in reservoirs, releases of the […]
When we talk about EVs, it is reasonable to suggest that at their current level of price and performance, whoever wants to use one has already made the purchase. After a decade of rapid year-over-year growth, EV sales in California in 2024 were actually a bit lower than they were in 2023. There aren’t enough […]
One of the most controversial water issues in California is the proposed Delta Conveyance. The 45 mile long tunnel will have the capacity to move up to 4 million acre feet per year from the Sacramento River safely under the fragile delta ecosystem, delivering water to southbound aqueducts. That’s not bad. But the reservoir storage […]
The moral argument for resuming oil drilling in California is simple: the state still relies on petroleum for fifty percent of its annual energy inputs, and until we can overcome that reliance, we should be producing it here, where it’s subject to the most responsible environmental and labor standards in the world. This argument holds up […]
The concept of deep water desalination has been around for decades, but only in recent years has the enabling technology been available. Innovations pioneered by the oil and gas industry to better service offshore drilling platforms have matured. These include better ways to protect against corrosion of underwater equipment, and replacing hydraulic with electrical systems. […]
For anyone unconcerned about the state’s ongoing war against the oil and gas industry, or the impact it is going to have on California’s economic health and overall cost-of-living, a study released on May 5 should be required reading. With strong arguments and immutable data, USC Business Professor Michael Mische predicts that by sometime in 2026, we’ll be […]
Last week I received an email from a representative of a company planning to build a large scale green hydrogen production facility in California. In reviewing the details announced in this email, which was almost certainly sent to other analysts and journalists, I saw an opportunity to take another look at the challenges facing any […]
Despite its status as an agricultural superpower, eclipsing every other U.S. state in farm output, California’s farming sector wields relatively little influence in Sacramento. When you evaluate the state’s GDP components, the sectors that dominate are financial, IT, and services, at around a half-trillion each, followed by manufacturing and government at around $400 billion and $300 […]