On December 15th, the UC Davis Plug-In Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center presented findings from current research projects at PG&E’s Pacific Energy Center. Featured presentations at this EV Research Symposium included discussions on the impact of workplace charging, the dynamics of fast charging networks, projects such as the City of San Francisco Fleet & Chrysler PHEV Pickup Project, and more.  Presentations and related publications can be found on the UC Davis PH & EV Research Center's research webpage.

Workshops for Multifamily Buildings were held in San Francisco on December 12th and 15th to introduce property managers and owners to the ChargePoint California Demonstration Project.  The project provides San Francisco apartment buildings, condos, and co-ops guidance on how to apply for free electric vehicle chargers, including some or all of the installation costs.  As part of its MultiCharge SF initiative, SF Environment is helping property managers, owners, and residents of multifamily buildings make the move to electric vehicles.  Implementation of the demonstration project is a collaborative effort by Coulomb Technologies, SFE, PG&E, and the California Energy Commission.

To view project details or download application materials, please click here.

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) has unanimously voted to amend its guiding Bay Plan document, making the Bay Area the first region in California to codify the long-term threat of sea level rise as a factor in development in low-lying areas surrounding the bay.

The new plan requires shoreline development projects to submit a flood risk assessment and include a plan to cope with other climate change eventualities. These amendments had been proposed in response to a scientific report released by the BCDC in April 2009 that predicted the Bay would rise 10 to 17 inches by 2050, 17 to 32 inches by 2070 and 31 to 69 inches at the end of the century, and included detailed maps showing areas vulnerable to flooding.

The final plan was approved after more than two years of contentious debate between developers, trades unions and environmentalists. During that time, the BCDC was forced to step back and educate opposition groups about how climate change would affect the Bay Area’s transportation map, energy infrastructure and housing supply. After several rounds of discussions, key groups finally reached a compromise in late August.

Paul Campos, Bay Area Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the Building Industry Association, highlights the significance of the Bay Plan amendment’s approval, saying:

“The Bay Plan amendment adopted today is the balanced product of goodwill and compromise. It’s testament to the fact that the Bay Area’s economic and environmental interests are linked. One cannot be sustainably advanced at the expense of the other.”

Big Springs, Texas will soon join a growing list of Western cities that practice “indirect potable water reuse” to manage the freshwater shortage that is continually exacerbated by rising populations and ongoing droughts. The $13 million Big Spring Water Reclamation Plant – the first of its kind in Texas to use recycled wastewater to replenish drinking water – will supply 2 million gallons of water each day to Big Springs and to three nearby cities starting early next year.

While such a strategy is popularly referred to as “toilet-to-tap”, the recycled water should not be misunderstood as going directly into the tap water distribution system. Before reaching home faucets, the water first undergoes stages of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and high-intensity chemical and ultraviolet light treatment before being channeled into a lake or reservoir to blend with freshwater, and then pumped back into the facility for advanced treatment and testing.

For decades, cities throughout the U.S. have used recycled wastewater for irrigation purposes. Persistent drought, projected population growth and predicted freshwater shortages now force city officials in the West to seriously consider the “toilet-to-tap” strategy as a solution despite Americans being squeamish with the idea.

This summer saw Texas face over 40 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures and its third worst recorded drought. If the scorching drought conditions in West Texas persist through next year, one of three reservoirs in the area may dry up, which means that the Colorado River Municipal Water District’s water supply could be reduced from 65 million gallons a day to 45 million a day according to John Grant, the district’s general manager.

Cities in Arizona and California have already adopted “toilet-to-tap” programs. In 2007, the Orange County Water District opened its $480 million Groundwater Replenishment System (GRS), the world’s largest treatment plant devoted to purifying wastewater to augment drinking water supplies. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is currently working to implement a $700 million water reuse plan modeled after the GRS so that the city can become less dependent on importing water from Northern California and the Colorado River.

Although the latest technology guarantees recycled wastewater meets EPA drinking water standards, public acceptance remains a challenge. As more Western cities such as Big Springs begin adopting a “toilet-to-tap” strategy and educating the public about it, however, the hope is that old stigmas associated with water reuse will be flushed down the drain.