1) The city of Sacramento awarded funds to build the first phase of promenade along the Sacramento River, from O to R Street, and it is another great move towards fully incorporating our two rivers into the life of the community, a very good thing.
2) A conference on hydropower was just in Sacramento and this column from the president of the hosting organization is excellent. An excerpt.
“Rick Miller, president of the National Hydropower Association, is responding to the July 14 op-ed "Big dams are not the answer to the world's energy needs." As America's largest renewable energy resource – and one of the cleanest energy generation sources now in use – the U.S. hydropower industry is pleased to take part in any discussion about the role hydropower has in our country's energy future and environmental policies. We have a strong record of achievement in serving U.S. energy, economic and environmental goals, and through the use of new technologies and more-efficient applications, we will continue to serve the public for decades to come…
“The op-ed misses the exciting – and environmentally friendly – developments taking place in North America and the important role hydropower plays in managing water resources. The article fails to point out the many benefits of hydropower, including water supply, flood control and recreation, and to support the growth of other renewable technologies, such as wind and solar, on to the grid.
“Last year, the Electric Power Research Institute released a study showing that the U.S. hydropower industry could more than double its clean energy output in the next 25 years. That means adding about 96,000 megawatts to the 90,000 megawatts of water power it currently offers.”
