Santa Clara 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.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

07/19/2024
Image for display with article titled Masten Station Goes Green With Solar Power

Santa Clara County firefighters and public officials from throughout South County last week celebrated an upgraded solar energy system at a key local station that will save money and better equip the first responders when dealing with their own emergencies.

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.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

07/04/2024
Image for display with article titled Los Gatos Struggles to Solve Beach Traffic Jam

It’s the most infamous time of year for Los Gatos residents — peak beach traffic season exacerbated by a scorching Fourth of July. The West Valley town is still trying to figure out how to calm traffic down.

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.

San Jose Inside logo From San Jose Inside...

05/23/2024
Image for display with article titled California Climate Programs Would Lose Billions in Newsom’s Budget

As funds for climate change programs are cut, Democrats and environmentalists are pushing for a bond measure on the ballot to restore some funding.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

05/23/2024
It’s been almost a half-century since I first heard the term “peripheral canal” uttered by William Gianelli, who was then-Gov. Ronald Reagan’s top water official. The project, in one form or another, had already been kicking around for decades.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

04/26/2024
A bill to rein in a proposed monthly fee on California electric bills would let California’s largest for-profit utility companies charge customers $24 per month — with fees as low as $6 for lower-income customers — as a kind of membership fee for the power grid.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

04/23/2024
Image for display with article titled Gilroy Facility Presents Sustainable Distribution Model on Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day, Performance Food Group on April 22 held an open house event in Gilroy to show how they have created a sustainable distribution model at the company’s local facility.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

04/21/2024
One of the tools in state housing law that’s generated excitement among YIMBYs for its power to build new high-density housing could also end up leading to just the opposite: urban sprawl.

Gilroy Dispatch logo From Gilroy Dispatch...

04/16/2024
Image for display with article titled One Injured in Caltrain Collision in San Martin

A Caltrain struck a vehicle on the tracks in the unincorporated community of San Martin in Santa Clara County on Monday night, a spokesperson for SamTrans said.

California Local Pin Marker From Palo Alto Online...

04/12/2024
After being rejected twice by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, the Palo Alto City Council is set to consider and vote on a new Housing Element plan.

San Jose Spotlight logo From San Jose Spotlight...

04/01/2024
Image for display with article titled Milpitas Launches Rent Relief Program for Local Workers

Some Milpitas residents are about to get a break on rent, as the city pushes to address the affordability crisis.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

03/30/2024
The City of Santa Clara is struggling to maintain aging infrastructure and is now facing $624 million in unfunded repairs and upgrades, according to City Manager Jovan Grogan.
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