Posts Tagged: power
News
Never mind there are few on the market, or that keeping them moving requires a nonexistent network of chargers, California wants truckers to hurry up and replace diesel big rigs with versions that run on batteries or hydrogen. Regulations to achieve the transitions are not yet complete. The California Air Resources Board is gathering public opinion on the latest iteration and a subsequent draft is anticipated in the spring.
News
There is one issue plaguing solar energy: darkness. When the sun sets, solar panels’ abilities to gather and deploy solar energy is depleted until it rises the next morning. Similarly, cloud cover can harm homeowners and businesses that rely on solar energy and panels as the sun is temporarily. But there may be an answer to that problem, too: batteries.
Opinion
OPINION: Gov. Newsom’s announcement that his Administration would ask the California Legislature to authorize continued operation of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant was welcomed by many energy experts. Keeping the plant open would improve the resilience of the state’s grid and decrease the likelihood of blackouts.
Opinion
OPINION: Offshore wind energy in California would create quality jobs. Legislators should put the state on a path to development. In California, we know that building a clean energy economy means high-quality blue-collar jobs.
Opinion
OPINION: For many, Labor Day means a day off work and one last summer BBQ. But without a strong labor movement, our country wouldn’t have weekends at all, let alone long ones. Unfortunately, union membership has fallen by half over the last 40 years, often as a result of state “right to work” laws.
News
Officials with jurisdiction over about 80 percent of California’s power grid say the state faces a grim outlook as summer heat, wildfires and a severe drought intensify. Hoping to reduce strain on the power grid, experts are looking at alternative energy generation, distribution and storage. Some of these systems, inspired in part by the meltdown of California’s electricity market two decades ago, already are in place across the state.
Opinion
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.
News
In February, Texas experienced a freak weather event, a deep freeze that shut down its electrical system, damaged its infrastructure and cost dozens of lives. The storm revealed the lack of preparation and investment by the Texas state government, the flaws of its system of deregulated privately-owned utilities, and the failures of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT. The latter is responsible for maintaining the state’s energy infrastructure.
Analysis
Not long ago, California Republicans slugged it out with Democrats in competitive statewide campaigns and threw considerable weight into legislative policy debates. But today, after a quarter-century slide into irrelevancy and dogma, it’s reasonable to consider if the state party still has a pulse and if its future includes a revival.
Opinion
OPINION: The inequalities of our state are writ large in the Coachella Valley. The west side of the valley offers verdant homes with pools that sell for millions, the distractions of Palm Springs and rock concerts, and a glamourous history that involves Hollywood and Presidents from Eisenhower to Obama who have come to the Coachella Valley to play golf.
A pair of all-electric big-rig trucks, built by Tesla, are ready for the road. (Photo: Steve Jurvetson, via Wikipedia)
