The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a decision on August 22, 2024, authorizing the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to procure up to 10.6 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy resources, including up to 7.6...more
Climate change threatens to dramatically shrink the amount of water California can deliver over the next 20 years and could significantly reduce supplies available from the State Water Project according to new projections...more
Two laws enacted in 2023 as part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s infrastructure streamlining package are intended to facilitate development of certain energy, water resources, transportation, semiconductor manufacturing, and other...more
This year marks the 10th anniversary of a major milestone in California water law history: the enactment of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014. This landmark legislation signaled a critical step toward...more
On April 2, 2024, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released the California Water Plan Update 2023 (CWP 2023 Update). DWR’s press release dubs the plan “A Roadmap to Water Management and Infrastructure for a...more
The Biden administration issued a final rule this Wednesday aimed at curbing methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on federal and tribal lands. Adoption of the rule is its latest action to crack down on emissions of...more
The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) last Thursday asked federal regulators for permission to cancel its annual interconnection study process for any interconnection requests submitted this year so it can deal...more
On January 4, 2024, the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) issued its statutorily-mandated report – “Assessing Early Implementation of Urban Water Use Efficiency Requirements” – analyzing the implementation of the “Make...more
After releasing the final environmental report (EIR) for the Delta Conveyance Project on December 8, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) certified it on December 21, 2023. The certification of the final EIR is a...more
Governor Newsom, on October 7, 2023, signed AB 1373 into law. The bill authorizes the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to serve as a central procurement entity to procure diverse clean energy resources in order to help the...more
Chemours Co., E.I. DuPont de Nemours, Inc., and Corteva, Inc. on Friday said they had reached an agreement in principle to pay $1.19 billion to settle claims that they contaminated U.S. public water systems with...more
In early November, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case brought by the Navajo Nation that could have far-reaching impacts on tribal water rights in the Colorado River Basin....more
A key priority of the Newsom Administration – the Delta Conveyance Project – has officially entered its next chapter. On July 22, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) released its draft environmental impact report (Draft...more
Modified Annual Water Diversion and Use Reporting Deadlines On September 23, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (“SB”) 115 into law, modifying the deadline and reporting period for annual water diversion and use...more
January 2022 was a busy month for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) issued remaining assessments for groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) for critically...more
Last week, on Nov. 18, 2021, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released assessments of eight additional Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs), adding to the four assessments released as reported in our June...more
In the wake of Governor Newsom’s July 30, 2021 Emergency Proclamation intended to mitigate the strain on the California energy grid, the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) and the California Energy Commission...more
On August 31, 2021, the California ISO held its August Summer Readiness Update Call. During the month of August, the California ISO grid faired well, as temperatures were more mild, and any hot weather was localized, rather...more
The wait is over for some Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs). The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released the first Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) assessments for four basins yesterday, June 3,...more