CAL MATTERS: California’s first carbon capture project shot down in court in setback for climate policy Cal Matters Climate change November 6, 2026A judge found the TerraVault project’s environmental review ignored industries that would supply its CO2. Carbon injections continue for now as...
DAN WALTERS: California adopted a new water plan. It’s unlikely to end the state’s water wars Cal Matters Policy and regulation November 3, 2026By Dan Walters, Cal Matters This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gray Davis became...
CAL MATTERS: Has the Trump administration doomed Newsom’s water plan? Cal Matters Policy and regulation October 30, 2026California approved Newsom’s Delta water rules, but Trump threatens to pull out and $740M with it. Water agencies that once backed...
CAL MATTERS: Vital Central Valley flood control levees are poorly maintained, state watchdog finds Cal Matters Planning and management October 21, 2026Nearly a third of local agencies running Central Valley levees have kept up “unacceptable” maintenance, some for years, and the...
CAL MATTERS: Dozens of California dams need repair as El Niño winter draws closer Cal Matters Planning and management October 14, 2026An audit found 57 California dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition, and the 40 riskiest sit near big coastal cities. The...
CAL MATTERS: How would Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton manage California’s most precious resource, water? Cal Matters Policy and regulation October 10, 2026We asked California governor candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton how they’d manage conflicts over water. The Republican endorsed more...
CAL MATTERS: No single failure caused LA fires, report finds. Who fixes the system? Cal Matters Wildfires and watersheds October 4, 2026A 723-page review ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom finds LA fires overwhelmed a system never designed for a wind-driven conflagration. Protecting...
CAL MATTERS: Moss Landing battery storage fire flares up again, raising new safety fears in California Cal Matters Water quality September 20, 2026Almost two years after a fire at a battery storage site in Moss Landing, another one is smoldering. The fire resurfaces...
DAN WALTERS: California’s future water supplies depend on the outcomes of four intertwined battles Cal Matters CommentaryPlanning and management September 11, 2026By Dan Walters, CalMatters This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Since the earliest years...
CAL MATTERS FACT CHECK: Is Sam Altman right that almonds use more water than ChatGPT queries? Cal Matters Planning and management September 4, 2026Altman claims 38,000 ChatGPT queries equal one almond’s water use, but experts say public data center water data is too...
CAL MATTERS: California politicians promised white gold in ‘Lithium Valley’. But are those dream fading? Cal Matters Ecosystems September 1, 2026This California desert region was touted as the ‘Saudi Arabia of lithium.’ Years later, projects are behind schedule and workers...
CAL MATTERS: The data center backlash is here — and Big Tech is spending big to combat it Cal Matters Uncategorized August 28, 2026The public has turned against data centers, prompting a flood of legislation in California. Business interests are trying to blunt...
CAL MATTERS: The Trump administration upended how the West fights wildfires. California is bracing too Cal Matters Wildfires and watersheds August 24, 2026By Rachel Becker from CalMatters. Amy Alonzo, of The Nevada Independent; Robert Chaney, of Montana Free Press/Mountain Journal; Mike Koshmrl,...
CAL MATTERS: What is the 10 a.m. rule? Controversial firefighting strategy could be back Cal Matters Wildfires and watersheds August 24, 2026By CalMatters Staff, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Wildfires once ran on...
CAL MATTERS: Where did the birds go? Once-abundant wetlands are drying up after federal staff cutbacks Cal Matters Ecosystems August 14, 2026A long decline in the number of people managing wildlife refuges in California accelerated after the Trump administration’s DOGE staffing...
