Monterey County Local News: Sustainability


All Local Sustainability News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: California has a goal of 6 million heat pumps cooling and heating buildings by 2030.
6 Million New Heat Pumps: Essential to California's Climate Future

Heat pumps, an energy-efficient way to both heat and cool homes, are a necessary element of California's climate goal of net zero carbon emissions. Here's what they are, how they work, and how to get one.

Image caption: Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage

Long-duration energy storage is essential if renewables are to become the basis for a future, carbon-neutral power grid. Here's how California is leading the race to store energy from solar, wind, and other clean sources for use whenever it's needed.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption: Dairy products are California’s top agricultural commodity, but the industry is often criticized for its impact on the environment.
Sustainable Sustenance

California is a leading producer of agricultural crops. So it’s not surprising to find cutting-edge ideas taking root here.

Image caption: Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals

Solar power, and a network of giant battery storage facilities, are playing an essential role in moving California toward its goal of exclusive reliance on renewable energy sources.

Image caption: RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt

What do resource conservation districts protect? Pretty much everything that’s worth saving.

Image caption: Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained

Residential wells are drying up in the state’s main agricultural region at the same time that agricultural businesses consume almost 90 percent of the water there.

Monterey County Weekly logo From Monterey County Weekly...

10/09/2024
Image for display with article titled A Coalition of Big Sur Leaders Are Working to Get Funding for Internet Access in Tough-to-Reach Places.

As the pandemic spotlighted, access to the internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity. From health care and online banking to education and disaster communication, much of everyday life requires being online.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

10/08/2024
How to apply rebate as part of the recent $80 million state program to electrify homes.

King City Rustler logo From King City Rustler...

09/13/2024
Image for display with article titled Fort Hunter Liggett Pioneers Army’s Renewable-Only Microgrid

Fort Hunter Liggett continues to lead the way in the Army’s energy resilience as the first-ever military installation with a microgrid implementation using only renewable sources, such as photovoltaic generation and battery storage.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

09/08/2024
The California state goal to conserve 30% of its land and coastal waters has advanced, with conserved lands reaching 25% and coastal waters 16%.

KSQD logo From KSQD...

09/04/2024
Image for display with article titled John Hunt Plays Key Role in Bringing $71 Million in Climate Adaptation Grants to the Monterey Bay Area

John Hunt is a collaborator at the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation and a research toxicologist at the University of California, Davis.

KSQD logo From KSQD...

08/30/2024
Image for display with article titled Charging Ahead: Inside Santa Cruz County’s E-Bike Surge – Talk of the Bay

It seems all manner of e-bikes are popping up across Santa Cruz County more and more—on trails, in streets, outside schools and grocery stores. Sometimes, the e-bikes are even carrying two passengers at a time as they zip down the roadway.

Monterey County Weekly logo From Monterey County Weekly...

08/07/2024
Image for display with article titled California Marine Sanctuary Foundation Scores a Transformative Grant for the Monterey Bay Area.

For Robert Mazurek, executive director of the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, two things stand out for him as career milestones. The first was helping to launch the Seafood Watch program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the early 2000s.

Monterey County Weekly logo From Monterey County Weekly...

08/01/2024
Image for display with article titled Seeking Clarity on How to Lift a Cease-and-Desist Order on Peninsula Water, a Private Meeting Brings the State Water Board to Monterey.

Water woes on the Monterey Peninsula go back for decades. In 1995, the State Water Resources Control Board issued Order 95-10, declaring that California American Water was entitled to take only 3,376 acre-feet of water a year from the Carmel River. The utility at the time was taking about 14,000 acre-feet to supply the region.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

08/01/2024
Legislators and Gov. Newsom are working behind the scenes to draft energy legislation before the end-of-the-month deadline.

California Local Pin Marker From Monterey Herald...

07/24/2024
Central Coast Community Energy has begun offering rebates for the purchase of home battery energy storage systems.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/15/2024
Public chargers must be built at an unprecedented pace to meet the target in less than 7 years, and then doubled to 2 million in 2035. The high cost — $120,000 or more for one fast charger— is just one obstacle.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

07/10/2024
Harnessing clean energy is a venture of unprecedented scope in California, bringing big changes to Humboldt and the Central Coast, and requiring 26 ports along the coast.

Monterey County Weekly logo From Monterey County Weekly...

06/19/2024
Image for display with article titled Officials at Odds About How to Fix a Bridge While Preserving Iconic Big Sur.

Highway 1 in Big Sur is among the most beautiful roads on Earth. Most images of it – aside from disaster photos – contain one common element: a bridge.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/17/2024
Legal rights to use water — particularly those obtained prior to 1914 — lie at the heart of California’s perpetual wrangling over the allocation of increasingly limited water supplies.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/13/2024
Tens of thousands of California homeowners, especially those who live in areas at risk of wildfires, have lost their insurance or have to pay more to keep coverage. One after another, major companies have pulled out of the state, many citing the cost of claims.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/12/2024
Aiming to store more water and protect the public, legislators are negotiating with the governor to restore $50 million to help repair 42 aging dams throughout the state.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

06/07/2024
The two-day CalMatters Ideas Festival wrapped on June 6 with more than a dozen events examining critical policy issues impacting the lives of millions of Californians.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/30/2024
These community projects can give renters and low-income homeowners a chance to go solar, but the PUC’s action is unlikely to give them the option.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/27/2024
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, flew more 6,000 miles to Rome this month to deliver a brief speech on climate change at a Vatican-sponsored conference.
Join Us Today!