http://www.californiadroughtupdate.org/pdf/20180524-California-Water-and-Infrastructure-Report.pdf
California’s new solar roof mandate will make housing more expensive, increase electricity prices, and transfer wealth upwards.
What it won’t do is significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Since he took office in 2011, Governor Jerry Brown and the regulatory bodies he controls have worked to close the state’s two nuclear plants.
Between 1976 and 1979, Brown and his allies killed so many nuclear power plants that, had they been built, California would today be generating almost all of its electricity from zero-pollution power plants.
“California’s Solar Roof Law Will Raise Housing And Energy Prices But Do Little To Reduce Emissions”
Michael Shellenberger, Democratic Candidate for California Governor
A Note To Readers
California’s State Primary Election is June 5, so this issue of the report will highlight some of the election’s candidates and ballot issues. The quote above from, surprising to most I am sure, one of the Democratic candidates for Governor, thus making him the only candidate, Democrat or Republican, in the race who is even remotely qualified. He is the only candidate that ridicules solar power and promotes nuclear power. I am sure you will also find it surprising that Michael Shellenberger is a national leader of what we call the “environmentalists.” He is the President of “Environmental Progress,” based in Oakland, and was named Time Magazine “Hero of the Environment” in 2008. His article, “California’s Solar Roof Law Will Raise Housing And Energy Prices But Do Little To Reduce Emissions,” is excerpted later in this report.
In This Week’s Report
The seriousness of the drought in the greater southwest region of the country stays near the top of my report again this week. Meanwhile, California’s descent into a new drought slowly proceeds. The state’s reservoirs remain above the average level for this time of the year and the Department of Water Resources has increased its allocation to 35% of what water contractors have requested. That fact demonstrates that, as I have long maintained, the California water management system is broken and has been so for more than two decades. The state has only been able to provide full allocations to the water contractors– and thus the farmers– only a couple of times in the past 20 years.
We have a longer report and update from the Oroville Dam this week, including a construction report, three videos and some nice photos.
The Delta Tunnels seem to be rolling along, or over all opposition. As one editorial puts it: The “California WaterFix” name of the project is perfectly appropriate, for the fix is in.
There are two water bonds on the ballot this year, or rather one water bond and one park bond disguised as a water bond. There are a couple articles analyzing the bonds under the title “The California June 5 Primary Election, and More.”
Next you will find extensive excerpts from Michael Shellenberger’s article, “California’s Solar Roof Law Will Raise Housing And Energy Prices But Do Little To Reduce Emissions.” Not only does he break solar power into shards of glass, but he makes the case for nuclear power. Pretty good for a Democratic candidate for Governor.
Fracking is back in the news with a new report on wastewater pollution of the state’s water supply. I accompany that report with an item that gets at the more fundamental question of lifting ourselves to a new platform of productivity by nuclear and fusion.
The last section of this week’s report is fun: If China, Bolivia, Russia, and Syria can optimistically drive their economies with science, nuclear energy, and a sane farm policy, thus providing for a growing population, well, so can we, if we decide to do so. “Pessimist,” as one person from China attending a meeting in the Bay Area said last week, “is stupid.”
