Water and Energy
Aside from air, nothing is more important to our existence than clean, reliable drinking water. California and the United States appears to be coming to a precipice, and without action in the near-future, many people may be at risk, and nowhere is this more evident than in California. As we approach our sixth year of drought, which a disturbing report released from the University of California at Los Angeles warns may be the new norm rather than the exception, California cannot afford to wait for an external solution, as much of the country is experiencing similar hardship. The sheer magnitude of the funding gap requires innovative approaches and probably a new mindset to begin addressing this challenge. Governments, utilities and ratepayers alike must find common ground and work transparently and fairly to develop new ways to fund water infrastructure, while recognizing the inherent nexus between energy and water.
As alternative energy generation and storage continues to be discussed by policymakers and the legislature, new technologies are being tested throughout the world. An Australian company has announced plans to convert an abandoned gold mine into a pumped hydroelectric energy storage system. In Hawaii, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Navy are currently testing the U.S.’s first wave-produced electric generation. The DOE estimates the U.S. could get 20-28 percent of its electricity through waves
High-speed Internet and Rural California’s Economy
In order to realize its full economic potential and experience the income and employment gains the Silicon Valley has recently experienced, rural California needs access to high-speed, ubiquitous and reliable internet access, and broadband equity is critical to the future of these communities. As efforts to increase internet access continue through commercially deployable technologies throughout rural California, some companies and research institutions are working to develop new technologies.
Google and One|Web LLC are in a race to develop and deploy aeronautic technology that would provide internet access in even the most remote regions of the globe. Google’s Project Loon proposes using helium-filled balloons equipped with solar powered electronic and telecommunications apparatus to send internet signals back to Earth from an altitude of approximately 20 kilometers which is nearly twice the altitude commercial airliners fly. Currently, two dozen balloons are floating in the southern hemisphere. California’s Central Valley was one of the first test locations for this project. One|Web LLC and Airbus Defense and Space want to mass produce satellites and deploy in Low Earth Orbit to bring low-latency, broadband Internet to the entire world. Although many challenges are present, One|Web LLC is shooting to bring this service online by 2019.