A person uses a laptop computer to go online and search for housing. (Photo: Tada Images, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Expanding broadband access is key to advancing equity in our increasingly digital society. So why are California regulators taking steps to restrict the use of federal and state broadband subsidies to support communities that need them most, effectively widening the digital divide?
The Diablo Canyon nuclear power station on the coast of Central California. (Photo: Tracey Adams, via Wikipedia and Flickr)OPINION: California’s power is expensive and polluting – but doesn’t have to be.
The state of California plans to replace Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) mostly with Wyoming coal-fired generation. The source of the replacement power will remain hidden until 2025, when Californians can’t stop the state
Solar panels arranged in California's Mojave Desert. (Photo: Andfrei Orlov, via Shuttertstock)OPINION: Local solar power — on our roofs and in our neighborhoods — has always been a more nimble and resilient form of clean energy, but now we know that consumer solar is also cost-effective leaving little doubt that it should be a key element of the state’s energy transition.
An industrial power plant festooned with smokestacks. (Photo: J.D.S., via Shutterstock)OPINION: Every summer California fires up dirty fossil-fuel “peaker” power plants across the state to try to keep the lights on. Want to guess where these plants are usually located? That’s right, overwhelmingly in underserved neighborhoods and communities of color.
Solar energy units atop houses in Vista, in northern San Diego County. (Photo: Simone Hgan, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Over the past few weeks, we have seen an increase in activity and misinformation from opponents of AB 1139, California Solar Equity and Ratepayer Relief legislation, authored by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego).
A smart phone user with his device. (Photo: TK Studio, via Shutterstock)OPINION: With the continued struggles exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vitally important for consumers, especially historically underserved consumers and business communities to have access to reliable and affordable mobile services.
Residential water sprinklers in action. (Photo: Fahroni, via Shutterstock)OPINION: For over a decade, Californians have been dealing with unpredictable and confusing water surcharges. That could change if the state’s Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) votes to adopt a program recommended by the Public Advocates Office (Cal Advocates) as soon as Aug. 27.
Sprinklers watering a field in Scotts Valley, Calif. (Photo: Michael Barajas, via Shutterstock)As early as Aug. 6, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) could vote to adopt a proposal that would eliminate a best-practice regulatory tool – known as decoupling – that currently removes the incentive of water suppliers to sell more water.
An illustration of an energy-producing, energy-storage system. (Image: petrmalinak, via Shutterstock)OPINION:< There are current and new emerging storage technologies to help address our need for storage that can hold very large amounts of energy. The problem is we don’t currently have the right processes in place to get these types of projects built.
Lines delivering energy and communications along a rural stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway. (Photo: Lux Blue, via Shutterstock)OPINION: California is a national leader in clean energy. Contrary to the perspective of advocates for Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs), the question before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Sept. 27 is not whether our state will continue to lead the nation in renewable energy, but whether all customers will contribute equitably to the costs of those investments and to system-wide electric reliability.