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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">El Niño\u003c/a>‘s effects are already being felt on the West Coast. Communities are reeling from coastal flooding across Southern California and parts of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The culprit? In part, scientists say the flooding is due to what they call a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104037/a-perfect-storm-waves-and-tides-could-flood-bay-area-shorelines-this-week\">Kelvin wave\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But this massive wave isn’t visible like a tsunami or a wave surfers can catch; it moves slowly beneath the ocean’s surface and is one of El Niño’s first effects, which could strengthen to historic intensity this winter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are like the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">heartbeat of El Niño\u003c/a>,” said Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in a recent post.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026. (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause temporary sea level rise of several inches to more than a foot along the California coast and trigger minor flooding on their own. But when that pulse of water combines with high tides, storm-driven surface waves, thermal expansion from El Niño, and rising sea levels from human-caused climate change, flooding can be exacerbated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">said Mark Merrifield\u003c/a>, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s a look into the science behind how Kelvin waves form, their potential impact on the California coast and how the natural phenomenon could flood Bay Area neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What causes Kelvin waves?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. Like an “\u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">underwater freeway\u003c/a>,” Kelvin waves transfer heat from west to east and can stretch thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University, who studies marine extremes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ocean and the atmosphere are strongly connected, and as the water warms, the atmosphere responds by heating up. Normally, strong trade winds — permanent surface-level air currents — blow from east to west, pushing water across the equatorial Pacific toward Asia. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1981523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seacliff Pier is seen heavily damaged by a rainstorm in Santa Cruz County, on Jan. 5, 2023. (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as the water warms, the trade winds weaken or reverse as high pressure weakens or breaks down above the tropical Pacific Ocean. When winds change direction, immense amounts of water from the west slosh east, eventually hitting South America and splitting north and south.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That slow-moving ocean pulse is known as a Kelvin wave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Think of it like a bathtub where you’re pushing water from one end of the bathtub to the other,” said Michael Beck, professor and director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Kelvin wave travels at about 6 miles per hour (or about 150 miles per day) just above a cold layer of deep ocean water. The “disturbance inside the ocean” moves up the coastline, like a wave traveling around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise,” Fournier said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves warm the Pacific Ocean?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a Kelvin wave develops, it thickens the warmer surface layer and pushes the deeper, colder layer beneath it, known as the thermocline. This takes place “at depths between 660 and 3,300 feet,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The area that’s just a bit beneath the surface of the water is where you see the greatest change in temperature,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The coastline in Pacifica on June 15, 2026, where erosion remains an ongoing concern. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This change ultimately confines cold water and disrupts the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, which can warm surface water.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you had water or oil sitting on top of water, the wave is in the interface between oil and water,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer in the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves raise sea levels?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Think of a Kelvin wave as a massive bulge of warm, expanded water. Because it’s warmer, this massive subsurface wave displaces the cold water it pushes aside. As it crawls up the coast, local sea levels can rise from several inches to more than a foot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But not all the rise felt on the West Coast right now is from a Kelvin wave. The Pacific Ocean is warmer because of the exceptionally strong El Niño event and a separate regional marine heat. Water expands as it warms, and this thermal expansion accounts for roughly an additional 6 to 10 inches of rise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” said Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels, “but overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This temporary sea level rise occurs on top of an existing rise of about 8 inches along the San Francisco coast since the 1890s due to long-term climate change. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long do Kelvin waves last?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During an El Niño year, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from weeks to more than a month, depending on the wave’s scale and other ocean and atmosphere conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It takes a long time for the sea state to relax back to where it wants to be,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kelvin waves cause flooding?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause flooding on their own, but other factors exacerbate the risk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Beck said background sea level rise, thermal expansion during an El Niño, high tides, and storm surge can amplify flooding or erosion along the coastline. But he said storms “are the real kicker” for the California shoreline and can cause coastal and inland flooding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Winter storms come straight at us with really huge waves,” Beck said. “If they’re riding fifteen inches to twenty inches [of temporarily higher tides] when we’ve got full El Niño warming and depending upon the size of the Kelvin wave, that’s a lot of water and can hit in exactly the places where you don’t want to hit, like on roads or houses.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plastic sheeting and sandbags are placed outside a home along Golden Hind Passage in Corte Madera on June 15, 2026, as residents prepare for potential king tide flooding. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, winter tides that are the highest of the year, and some places can experience even more inundation, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding can occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño-driven floodwaters can affect major infrastructure, homes, roads and airports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1348\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000074\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-1536x1035.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk through floodwaters on Jan. 5, 2026, in Corte Madera, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Roads may be closed due to the low-lying areas being inundated with water, and if you do come around them, don’t drive around them because you don’t know the depths of the water,” said Karleisa Rogacheski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The potentially dangerous conditions may expose weaknesses in flood protections along California’s coastlines, said Kristina Hill, a professor in UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design who studies sea level rise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael in Marin County, have a patchwork of private levees. El Niño-fueled winters can test those barriers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are they called Kelvin waves? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/kelvin-waves-explained\">post\u003c/a> that Kelvin waves “are named after the prominent scientist, Lord Kelvin, who first described the unique wave phenomena in 1879.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also noted that “Kelvin waves are nothing new, and are a key part of El Niño events.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">El Niño\u003c/a>‘s effects are already being felt on the West Coast. Communities are reeling from coastal flooding across Southern California and parts of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">El Niño\u003c/a>‘s effects are already being felt on the West Coast. Communities are reeling from coastal flooding across Southern California and parts of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The culprit? In part, scientists say the flooding is due to what they call a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104037/a-perfect-storm-waves-and-tides-could-flood-bay-area-shorelines-this-week\">Kelvin wave\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The culprit? In part, scientists say the flooding is due to what they call a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104037/a-perfect-storm-waves-and-tides-could-flood-bay-area-shorelines-this-week\">Kelvin wave\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But this massive wave isn’t visible like a tsunami or a wave surfers can catch; it moves slowly beneath the ocean’s surface and is one of El Niño’s first effects, which could strengthen to historic intensity this winter. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But this massive wave isn’t visible like a tsunami or a wave surfers can catch; it moves slowly beneath the ocean’s surface and is one of El Niño’s first effects, which could strengthen to historic intensity this winter. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are like the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">heartbeat of El Niño\u003c/a>,” said Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in a recent post.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are like the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">heartbeat of El Niño\u003c/a>,” said Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in a recent post.\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause temporary sea level rise of several inches to more than a foot along the California coast and trigger minor flooding on their own. But when that pulse of water combines with high tides, storm-driven surface waves, thermal expansion from El Niño, and rising sea levels from human-caused climate change, flooding can be exacerbated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause temporary sea level rise of several inches to more than a foot along the California coast and trigger minor flooding on their own. But when that pulse of water combines with high tides, storm-driven surface waves, thermal expansion from El Niño, and rising sea levels from human-caused climate change, flooding can be exacerbated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">said Mark Merrifield\u003c/a>, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">said Mark Merrifield\u003c/a>, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s a look into the science behind how Kelvin waves form, their potential impact on the California coast and how the natural phenomenon could flood Bay Area neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Here’s a look into the science behind how Kelvin waves form, their potential impact on the California coast and how the natural phenomenon could flood Bay Area neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What causes Kelvin waves?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What causes Kelvin waves?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What causes Kelvin waves?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. Like an “\u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">underwater freeway\u003c/a>,” Kelvin waves transfer heat from west to east and can stretch thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. Like an “\u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">underwater freeway\u003c/a>,” Kelvin waves transfer heat from west to east and can stretch thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University, who studies marine extremes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University, who studies marine extremes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ocean and the atmosphere are strongly connected, and as the water warms, the atmosphere responds by heating up. Normally, strong trade winds — permanent surface-level air currents — blow from east to west, pushing water across the equatorial Pacific toward Asia. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The ocean and the atmosphere are strongly connected, and as the water warms, the atmosphere responds by heating up. Normally, strong trade winds — permanent surface-level air currents — blow from east to west, pushing water across the equatorial Pacific toward Asia. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1981523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seacliff Pier is seen heavily damaged by a rainstorm in Santa Cruz County, on Jan. 5, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1981523\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seacliff Pier is seen heavily damaged by a rainstorm in Santa Cruz County, on Jan. 5, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But as the water warms, the trade winds weaken or reverse as high pressure weakens or breaks down above the tropical Pacific Ocean. When winds change direction, immense amounts of water from the west slosh east, eventually hitting South America and splitting north and south.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But as the water warms, the trade winds weaken or reverse as high pressure weakens or breaks down above the tropical Pacific Ocean. When winds change direction, immense amounts of water from the west slosh east, eventually hitting South America and splitting north and south.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That slow-moving ocean pulse is known as a Kelvin wave.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That slow-moving ocean pulse is known as a Kelvin wave.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Think of it like a bathtub where you’re pushing water from one end of the bathtub to the other,” said Michael Beck, professor and director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Think of it like a bathtub where you’re pushing water from one end of the bathtub to the other,” said Michael Beck, professor and director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Kelvin wave travels at about 6 miles per hour (or about 150 miles per day) just above a cold layer of deep ocean water. The “disturbance inside the ocean” moves up the coastline, like a wave traveling around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise,” Fournier said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "How do Kelvin waves warm the Pacific Ocean?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves warm the Pacific Ocean?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a Kelvin wave develops, it thickens the warmer surface layer and pushes the deeper, colder layer beneath it, known as the thermocline. This takes place “at depths between 660 and 3,300 feet,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a Kelvin wave develops, it thickens the warmer surface layer and pushes the deeper, colder layer beneath it, known as the thermocline. This takes place “at depths between 660 and 3,300 feet,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The area that’s just a bit beneath the surface of the water is where you see the greatest change in temperature,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The area that’s just a bit beneath the surface of the water is where you see the greatest change in temperature,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The coastline in Pacifica on June 15, 2026, where erosion remains an ongoing concern.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001339\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The coastline in Pacifica on June 15, 2026, where erosion remains an ongoing concern.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This change ultimately confines cold water and disrupts the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, which can warm surface water.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This change ultimately confines cold water and disrupts the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, which can warm surface water.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you had water or oil sitting on top of water, the wave is in the interface between oil and water,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer in the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If you had water or oil sitting on top of water, the wave is in the interface between oil and water,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer in the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "How do Kelvin waves raise sea levels?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Think of a Kelvin wave as a massive bulge of warm, expanded water. Because it’s warmer, this massive subsurface wave displaces the cold water it pushes aside. As it crawls up the coast, local sea levels can rise from several inches to more than a foot.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Think of a Kelvin wave as a massive bulge of warm, expanded water. Because it’s warmer, this massive subsurface wave displaces the cold water it pushes aside. As it crawls up the coast, local sea levels can rise from several inches to more than a foot.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But not all the rise felt on the West Coast right now is from a Kelvin wave. The Pacific Ocean is warmer because of the exceptionally strong El Niño event and a separate regional marine heat. Water expands as it warms, and this thermal expansion accounts for roughly an additional 6 to 10 inches of rise.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But not all the rise felt on the West Coast right now is from a Kelvin wave. The Pacific Ocean is warmer because of the exceptionally strong El Niño event and a separate regional marine heat. Water expands as it warms, and this thermal expansion accounts for roughly an additional 6 to 10 inches of rise.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” said Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels, “but overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” said Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels, “but overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This temporary sea level rise occurs on top of an existing rise of about 8 inches along the San Francisco coast since the 1890s due to long-term climate change. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This temporary sea level rise occurs on top of an existing rise of about 8 inches along the San Francisco coast since the 1890s due to long-term climate change. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "How long do Kelvin waves last?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During an El Niño year, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from weeks to more than a month, depending on the wave’s scale and other ocean and atmosphere conditions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During an El Niño year, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from weeks to more than a month, depending on the wave’s scale and other ocean and atmosphere conditions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It takes a long time for the sea state to relax back to where it wants to be,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It takes a long time for the sea state to relax back to where it wants to be,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Can Kelvin waves cause flooding?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kelvin waves cause flooding?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause flooding on their own, but other factors exacerbate the risk. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Beck said background sea level rise, thermal expansion during an El Niño, high tides, and storm surge can amplify flooding or erosion along the coastline. But he said storms “are the real kicker” for the California shoreline and can cause coastal and inland flooding.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Beck said background sea level rise, thermal expansion during an El Niño, high tides, and storm surge can amplify flooding or erosion along the coastline. But he said storms “are the real kicker” for the California shoreline and can cause coastal and inland flooding.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Winter storms come straight at us with really huge waves,” Beck said. “If they’re riding fifteen inches to twenty inches [of temporarily higher tides] when we’ve got full El Niño warming and depending upon the size of the Kelvin wave, that’s a lot of water and can hit in exactly the places where you don’t want to hit, like on roads or houses.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Winter storms come straight at us with really huge waves,” Beck said. “If they’re riding fifteen inches to twenty inches [of temporarily higher tides] when we’ve got full El Niño warming and depending upon the size of the Kelvin wave, that’s a lot of water and can hit in exactly the places where you don’t want to hit, like on roads or houses.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plastic sheeting and sandbags are placed outside a home along Golden Hind Passage in Corte Madera on June 15, 2026, as residents prepare for potential king tide flooding.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002358\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plastic sheeting and sandbags are placed outside a home along Golden Hind Passage in Corte Madera on June 15, 2026, as residents prepare for potential king tide flooding.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, winter tides that are the highest of the year, and some places can experience even more inundation, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, winter tides that are the highest of the year, and some places can experience even more inundation, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding can occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding can occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>El Niño-driven floodwaters can affect major infrastructure, homes, roads and airports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>El Niño-driven floodwaters can affect major infrastructure, homes, roads and airports. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000074\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-1536x1035.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk through floodwaters on Jan. 5, 2026, in Corte Madera, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Roads may be closed due to the low-lying areas being inundated with water, and if you do come around them, don’t drive around them because you don’t know the depths of the water,” said Karleisa Rogacheski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Roads may be closed due to the low-lying areas being inundated with water, and if you do come around them, don’t drive around them because you don’t know the depths of the water,” said Karleisa Rogacheski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The potentially dangerous conditions may expose weaknesses in flood protections along California’s coastlines, said Kristina Hill, a professor in UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design who studies sea level rise. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael in Marin County, have a patchwork of private levees. El Niño-fueled winters can test those barriers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael in Marin County, have a patchwork of private levees. El Niño-fueled winters can test those barriers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Why are they called Kelvin waves?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are they called Kelvin waves? \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/kelvin-waves-explained\">post\u003c/a> that Kelvin waves “are named after the prominent scientist, Lord Kelvin, who first described the unique wave phenomena in 1879.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/kelvin-waves-explained\">post\u003c/a> that Kelvin waves “are named after the prominent scientist, Lord Kelvin, who first described the unique wave phenomena in 1879.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He also noted that “Kelvin waves are nothing new, and are a key part of El Niño events.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Not a Tsunami or a surfable wave, El Niño’s invisible Kelvin waves can push tides up along the Bay Area shoreline, increasing flood risk. ",
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"title": "What Is a Kelvin Wave? How El Niño Can Raise West Coast Sea Levels | KQED",
"description": "Not a Tsunami or a surfable wave, El Niño’s invisible Kelvin waves can push tides up along the Bay Area shoreline, increasing flood risk. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104145/californias-el-nino-winter-could-be-profoundly-unsubtle-scientists-warn\">El Niño\u003c/a>‘s effects are already being felt on the West Coast. Communities are reeling from coastal flooding across Southern California and parts of the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The culprit? In part, scientists say the flooding is due to what they call a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104037/a-perfect-storm-waves-and-tides-could-flood-bay-area-shorelines-this-week\">Kelvin wave\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But this massive wave isn’t visible like a tsunami or a wave surfers can catch; it moves slowly beneath the ocean’s surface and is one of El Niño’s first effects, which could strengthen to historic intensity this winter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are like the \u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">heartbeat of El Niño\u003c/a>,” said Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, in a recent post.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001619\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260807-El-Nino-Worst-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Water floods the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 17, 2026. (Courtesy of The Exploratorium)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause temporary sea level rise of several inches to more than a foot along the California coast and trigger minor flooding on their own. But when that pulse of water combines with high tides, storm-driven surface waves, thermal expansion from El Niño, and rising sea levels from human-caused climate change, flooding can be exacerbated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“El Niño is a good opportunity to see where our vulnerabilities are throughout the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmmXUkRp6-g\">said Mark Merrifield\u003c/a>, director of the Scripps Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. “It also is a sobering look at what we could expect with climate change.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s a look into the science behind how Kelvin waves form, their potential impact on the California coast and how the natural phenomenon could flood Bay Area neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What causes Kelvin waves?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. Like an “\u003ca href=\"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/nasa-satellites-observe-historic-2026-el-nino/\">underwater freeway\u003c/a>,” Kelvin waves transfer heat from west to east and can stretch thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University, who studies marine extremes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The ocean and the atmosphere are strongly connected, and as the water warms, the atmosphere responds by heating up. Normally, strong trade winds — permanent surface-level air currents — blow from east to west, pushing water across the equatorial Pacific toward Asia. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1981523\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2023/02/RS62627__qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seacliff Pier is seen heavily damaged by a rainstorm in Santa Cruz County, on Jan. 5, 2023. (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But as the water warms, the trade winds weaken or reverse as high pressure weakens or breaks down above the tropical Pacific Ocean. When winds change direction, immense amounts of water from the west slosh east, eventually hitting South America and splitting north and south.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That slow-moving ocean pulse is known as a Kelvin wave.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Think of it like a bathtub where you’re pushing water from one end of the bathtub to the other,” said Michael Beck, professor and director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Kelvin wave travels at about 6 miles per hour (or about 150 miles per day) just above a cold layer of deep ocean water. The “disturbance inside the ocean” moves up the coastline, like a wave traveling around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise,” Fournier said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves warm the Pacific Ocean?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a Kelvin wave develops, it thickens the warmer surface layer and pushes the deeper, colder layer beneath it, known as the thermocline. This takes place “at depths between 660 and 3,300 feet,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The area that’s just a bit beneath the surface of the water is where you see the greatest change in temperature,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/260615-PACIFICAWAVE-12-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The coastline in Pacifica on June 15, 2026, where erosion remains an ongoing concern. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This change ultimately confines cold water and disrupts the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, which can warm surface water.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you had water or oil sitting on top of water, the wave is in the interface between oil and water,” said Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer in the U.S. Geological Survey.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do Kelvin waves raise sea levels?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Think of a Kelvin wave as a massive bulge of warm, expanded water. Because it’s warmer, this massive subsurface wave displaces the cold water it pushes aside. As it crawls up the coast, local sea levels can rise from several inches to more than a foot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But not all the rise felt on the West Coast right now is from a Kelvin wave. The Pacific Ocean is warmer because of the exceptionally strong El Niño event and a separate regional marine heat. Water expands as it warms, and this thermal expansion accounts for roughly an additional 6 to 10 inches of rise.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During El Niño years the water levels are often higher,” said Melissa Lunden, a climate scientist-in-residence at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Not every El Niño results in higher-than-average water levels, “but overall, the trend is increasing over the decades.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This temporary sea level rise occurs on top of an existing rise of about 8 inches along the San Francisco coast since the 1890s due to long-term climate change. State scientists project another foot or more by 2050. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long do Kelvin waves last?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During an El Niño year, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from weeks to more than a month, depending on the wave’s scale and other ocean and atmosphere conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It takes a long time for the sea state to relax back to where it wants to be,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kelvin waves cause flooding?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelvin waves can cause flooding on their own, but other factors exacerbate the risk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Beck said background sea level rise, thermal expansion during an El Niño, high tides, and storm surge can amplify flooding or erosion along the coastline. But he said storms “are the real kicker” for the California shoreline and can cause coastal and inland flooding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Winter storms come straight at us with really huge waves,” Beck said. “If they’re riding fifteen inches to twenty inches [of temporarily higher tides] when we’ve got full El Niño warming and depending upon the size of the Kelvin wave, that’s a lot of water and can hit in exactly the places where you don’t want to hit, like on roads or houses.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002358\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/061526Flooding_GH_011_qed-43703a5e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plastic sheeting and sandbags are placed outside a home along Golden Hind Passage in Corte Madera on June 15, 2026, as residents prepare for potential king tide flooding. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Add natural king tides, winter tides that are the highest of the year, and some places can experience even more inundation, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We could get all of those stacked at once,” Swain said, noting that flooding can occur even if only a few of the potential impacts occur in tandem. This short-term flooding “could be comparable to, or greater than, the worst coastal flooding on record in the San Francisco Bay region,” Swain said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño-driven floodwaters can affect major infrastructure, homes, roads and airports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1348\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000074\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-1536x1035.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk through floodwaters on Jan. 5, 2026, in Corte Madera, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Roads may be closed due to the low-lying areas being inundated with water, and if you do come around them, don’t drive around them because you don’t know the depths of the water,” said Karleisa Rogacheski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The potentially dangerous conditions may expose weaknesses in flood protections along California’s coastlines, said Kristina Hill, a professor in UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design who studies sea level rise. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many cities, including San Francisco, have treated their waterfronts like “a medieval town with a wall around them,” Hill said. Others, like San Rafael in Marin County, have a patchwork of private levees. El Niño-fueled winters can test those barriers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve been trying to fill the cracks in the bathtub by putting out little informal levees, and then occasionally a very big project like the San Francisco seawall,” Hill said. “We may see some of those informal things fail in surprising and important ways.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are they called Kelvin waves? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Jacox, a research oceanographer with the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, said in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/kelvin-waves-explained\">post\u003c/a> that Kelvin waves “are named after the prominent scientist, Lord Kelvin, who first described the unique wave phenomena in 1879.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also noted that “Kelvin waves are nothing new, and are a key part of El Niño events.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "could-a-public-wildfire-insurance-plan-work-in-california",
"title": "Could a Public Wildfire Insurance Plan Work in California?",
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"headTitle": "Could a Public Wildfire Insurance Plan Work in California? | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> Supervisor Jane Kim’s proposal to create a public, natural disaster insurance program for all is the boldest out-of-the-box idea in the race to become California’s next insurance commissioner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The consumer advocate and attorney proposed a “guaranteed disaster for all insurance program that is publicly run and nonprofit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The state would collect some of the premiums that you’re already paying to this industry,” she said. “We would invest those dollars in the market, and then we would use excess capital to actually invest in driving down risk, meaning we would invest in fireproofing and floodproofing communities.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim has pointed to New Zealand and France’s arrangements as potential models. In these countries, the government and private companies share risk in the insurance market. She said she wants to see California’s insurance dollars at work to control the state’s insurance costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Could a similar program work here? How would it? KQED spoke with half a dozen experts to take a look at these questions, and many met the idea with skepticism, and also some hints of curiosity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What exactly is Jane Kim proposing?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim’s campaign released a \u003ca href=\"https://www.janekim.org/policy-brief\">policy document\u003c/a> on the proposal on Oct. 8th. It outlines a vision to have the state cover the cost of rebuilding the average home.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The money for this would come from two charges added to a person’s private insurance: one would be based on a home’s wildfire risk, another would be based on the value of the home.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The proposal raises the possibility of adding a surcharge on high-value second homes and vacation properties. The program would be mandatory but administered similar to the California Earthquake Authority, which covers earthquake risk in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002300\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jane Kim, former San Francisco supervisor and candidate for California Insurance Commissioner, speaks with politics reporter Marisa Lagos for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Sept. 17, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“From the consumer’s perspective, there’s no difference,” Kim said during an interview on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100390/jane-kims-bold-plan-to-protect-you-when-disaster-strikes\">KQED’s Political Breakdown\u003c/a>. “And when you file a claim, you still file it with the insurance industry. But the state pays it out, and they pay it out quickly and fairly.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To fund this, Kim said, the program would happen in stages, “and we’d have to figure out how to capitalize it in the beginning so that we could pay out claims in year one if fires happened.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the advantage for the state, she said, is that the profit insurance companies make on this part of policies could be invested in reducing risk.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public-private insurance partnerships exist in some form in dozens of countries, including England for flood risk and Spain for some risk reduction and emergency response. The U.S. also has a national flood insurance program. And states like Texas and Florida have schemes to socialize some of the costs of home insurance, owing to their frequent hurricanes and flooding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1994224\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water around a scorched garage as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake on Sept. 8, 2024. (Noah Berger/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each country or state’s arrangement is unique. In New Zealand, a set amount of a homeowner’s property insurance, about 600 New Zealand dollars ($336), goes to the government program that covers seismic risk: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides. If a policyholder suffers a loss, they can receive up to 300,000 NZ$ (roughly $170,000). All claim values above that are paid by the insurance company they have coverage with. It only covers seismic hazards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In France, a surcharge of 20% is added to property insurance policies. Private insurance companies handle claims, but they are reinsured by a public reinsurance company backed by the French state. Spain also operates a public reinsurance and direct insurance program, also funded by mandatory surcharges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While some California insurance experts believe bold ideas are needed to decrease wildfire risk, most are skeptical of Kim’s idea. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caution, skepticism, some curiosity, too \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their concerns overlap: public insurance programs spread out costs but don’t necessarily reduce them; they are often overly generous and fiscally irresponsible because they are set up by politicians who want to be reelected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some experts argue that California’s climate-fueled disasters are so expensive and frequent that it would be foolish for the state to take on so much risk, and that California’s market is in the early phases of a recovery and that shocking it with major changes could delay or reverse the progress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1994257\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A home destroyed by the Boyles Fire in Clearlake on Sept. 9, 2024, after the wildfire swept through the area on Sept. 8, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There aren’t a huge number of what most people would consider successful examples of public insurers. They tend to be plagued by problems,” said Michael Wara, wildfire and insurance expert at Stanford. “And the biggest problem is that when you tell a government agency to set the cost of insurance, they almost always set it too low.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And that means that taxpayers then must bail out the program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ideally, place politicians far away from this process,” said Ilan Noy, an expert in the economics of disasters and climate change at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Noy has studied the New Zealand program extensively and is largely a fan of it. However, he did not think an all-natural-hazard system would work in California, where some of the people at the highest risk are also wealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When public-private programs work, it’s because the insurance is being subsidized. But would subsidizing these wealthy homeowners be fair? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If California insurance costs are going up, Noy said, “the only way to make them lower is reduce the risk through public policy. You cannot make the costs, the premiums low if the risk is high because someone ends up paying for it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other experts stressed that the public-private partnerships could work but must be well-designed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s literally a design choice of, what are we solving for?” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/erwann-o-michel-kerjan-5653a9/?isSelfProfile=false\">Erwann Michel-Kerjan\u003c/a>, former executive director of the Wharton Risk Center, now a partner at McKinsey & Company. He has studied France’s system. “Are you solving for fairness?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps fairness is everyone paying for their own risk? But, equally, perhaps it’s unfair for people to see their insurance costs triple and to be priced out of where they grew up, when they didn’t do anything themselves to increase fire risk?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t think anyone has the answer, because there is not the perfect silver bullet,” Michel-Kerjan said. “California is unique, so it’s not like you can take the French system, the Netherlands system, and make it work in California, but you could be inspired by some of the principles behind some of these schemes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time and again, California’s wildfires defy expectations. Do taxpayers want to be responsible?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A system could be particularly hard to set up in California, right now. Wildfire damage is enormous, and costs are skyrocketing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Experts worry that creating an all-hazard system in California would concentrate fire risk into one program, instead of allowing private insurance companies to spread the costs out across the country, among many different policies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If a public insurance scheme relied only on money from within the state, the danger of costs exceeding incoming funds is greater than if the money going into and out of the system flows through national and global companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire destruction in downtown Altadena, after the Eaton Fire swept through the area northeast of Los Angeles, on Jan. 9, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This proposal,” said Carolyn Kousky, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.insuranceforgood.org/\">Insurance for Good\u003c/a>, a nonprofit that works on insurance solutions, “would concentrate fire risk, not diversify it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Diversification tends to make insurance markets stronger. Currently, California’s property insurance market is diversified among dozens of private carriers who, in turn, are diversified across the country, insuring people in different states, and hold reinsurance through global markets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You would actually end up costing people more by concentrating fire risk in one program instead of having access to this broader diversification,” Kousky said. “And we’ve seen that global reinsurance markets tend to charge more for public programs, for them to offload directly into the reinsurance market, because they are so often politically manipulated and their business isn’t consistent.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reassurance through reinsurance? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If California were to, instead of insuring homes directly, follow one aspect of the French model, it could create a different problem with reinsurance. Reinsurance is most simply thought of as insurance for insurance companies. In France, this helps keep costs down, and in Florida, too; however, in California, reinsurance costs are not a great place for saving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Florida is the only state in the U.S. that has a public reinsurance program. And it’s actually working pretty well,” Kousky said. That’s because Florida is filled with very small insurers who tend to operate only in the state or the region, and they are poorly capitalized and heavily dependent on insurance. Those costs are high, and they impact the primary market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside behind as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, California, on July 3, 2024. (Noah Berger/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Putting in a state layer of reinsurance that’s less expensive and — important — stable in its pricing does provide these protective benefits to the homeowners market there. That’s not the case for the homeowners market in California.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here, she said, most carriers operate nationally, have good financial health, and are getting reinsurance fairly inexpensively. Putting out California fire reinsurance specifically won’t help residents much. Perhaps it would make policies slightly cheaper, but Kousky estimated by not much. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What these public programs mostly do is change who pays. To meaningfully lower how much everyone has to pay, we need to make everyone safer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Could insurance fees pay for wildfire mitigation?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim does want to solve the persistent state problem of a lack of funds to invest in home- and community-level fire resilience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Sen. Ben Allen represents parts of Los Angeles County and is Kim’s opponent for the role of insurance commissioner. He wants to expand grants and financing to help home and business owners safeguard their properties from fire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wara, at Stanford, said he loves that both insurance commissioner candidates are thinking about how to find money to help communities reduce risk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Allen, a California state senator, speaks during a forum for candidates for California insurance commissioner at the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) in San Francisco on April 9, 2026. The event brought together candidates to discuss the state’s insurance market, including affordability and coverage challenges facing homeowners. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Wara does not think there would be enough profit in California’s wildfire insurance premiums to siphon enough off for meaningful investment and have a fund that could continue to pay claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When disaster strikes, those funds need a big pile of cash to pay claims, Wara said. “If we are spending that money on trying to reduce risk, the challenge is that we might have some bad fires before we’ve actually reduced the risk and then we’re going to need to pay claims, but we won’t have the money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In bad years like 2017, 2018 and 2020, insurance industry insiders said decades of company profits were wiped out and, by the early 2020s, many companies felt that the California market had become so risky and unprofitable that, for a time, almost no insurance company would offer new homeowner policies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That has since loosened up, and California’s insurance market shows some early signs of recovery: more companies entering the market and slowed growth in the FAIR Plan — California’s carrier of last resort. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wara likened this to a sick patient who has a long way to go before they can do anything too ambitious. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have taken one dose of antibiotics when it comes to the insurance system in California,” he said. It’ll be a while before it’s fully healthy. When someone is in recovery, “You just say: ‘go to bed, rest, take some antibiotics. Here’s some soup.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>New and creative ideas are needed in California to shift the state from its current untenable trajectory with climate change, wildfires and electrical utilities, Wara said. But he is skeptical of the contours of the plan currently offered by Kim. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not like the status quo is necessarily going to work,” he said, “We may have to try very different things.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Allen characterized her plan as “taking popular support for comprehensive single-payer health care, which is a real thing that exists in a lot of countries,” he told \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098926/ben-allen-wants-to-take-on-the-insurance-industry-for-you\">KQED’s Political Breakdown\u003c/a>, “and popped it over onto home disaster insurance.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the problem, he said, is that a comprehensive single-payer system doesn’t exist anywhere in the world. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Even if she were able to get this through the legislature, which I don’t think she’d be able to, even if it were a good idea, it would take 10 years to implement at the earliest,” he said. “I’m trying to focus on fixing the problems right now.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim, if elected, would need to advocate for the idea, have a bill proposed by a legislative partner, see it pass both houses and have it signed by the governor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For her part, Kim said she’s optimistic about her ability to negotiate, build coalitions and get this idea across the finish line. Voters will decide if she gets the chance to try.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> Supervisor Jane Kim’s proposal to create a public, natural disaster insurance program for all is the boldest out-of-the-box idea in the race to become California’s next insurance commissioner.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The consumer advocate and attorney proposed a “guaranteed disaster for all insurance program that is publicly run and nonprofit.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The state would collect some of the premiums that you’re already paying to this industry,” she said. “We would invest those dollars in the market, and then we would use excess capital to actually invest in driving down risk, meaning we would invest in fireproofing and floodproofing communities.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The state would collect some of the premiums that you’re already paying to this industry,” she said. “We would invest those dollars in the market, and then we would use excess capital to actually invest in driving down risk, meaning we would invest in fireproofing and floodproofing communities.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kim has pointed to New Zealand and France’s arrangements as potential models. In these countries, the government and private companies share risk in the insurance market. She said she wants to see California’s insurance dollars at work to control the state’s insurance costs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kim has pointed to New Zealand and France’s arrangements as potential models. In these countries, the government and private companies share risk in the insurance market. She said she wants to see California’s insurance dollars at work to control the state’s insurance costs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Could a similar program work here? How would it? KQED spoke with half a dozen experts to take a look at these questions, and many met the idea with skepticism, and also some hints of curiosity.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Could a similar program work here? How would it? KQED spoke with half a dozen experts to take a look at these questions, and many met the idea with skepticism, and also some hints of curiosity.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "What exactly is Jane Kim proposing? ",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What exactly is Jane Kim proposing?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kim’s campaign released a \u003ca href=\"https://www.janekim.org/policy-brief\">policy document\u003c/a> on the proposal on Oct. 8th. It outlines a vision to have the state cover the cost of rebuilding the average home.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The money for this would come from two charges added to a person’s private insurance: one would be based on a home’s wildfire risk, another would be based on the value of the home.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The proposal raises the possibility of adding a surcharge on high-value second homes and vacation properties. The program would be mandatory but administered similar to the California Earthquake Authority, which covers earthquake risk in the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kim’s campaign released a \u003ca href=\"https://www.janekim.org/policy-brief\">policy document\u003c/a> on the proposal on Oct. 8th. It outlines a vision to have the state cover the cost of rebuilding the average home.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The money for this would come from two charges added to a person’s private insurance: one would be based on a home’s wildfire risk, another would be based on the value of the home.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The proposal raises the possibility of adding a surcharge on high-value second homes and vacation properties. The program would be mandatory but administered similar to the California Earthquake Authority, which covers earthquake risk in the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002300\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jane Kim, former San Francisco supervisor and candidate for California Insurance Commissioner, speaks with politics reporter Marisa Lagos for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Sept. 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“From the consumer’s perspective, there’s no difference,” Kim said during an interview on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100390/jane-kims-bold-plan-to-protect-you-when-disaster-strikes\">KQED’s Political Breakdown\u003c/a>. “And when you file a claim, you still file it with the insurance industry. But the state pays it out, and they pay it out quickly and fairly.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To fund this, Kim said, the program would happen in stages, “and we’d have to figure out how to capitalize it in the beginning so that we could pay out claims in year one if fires happened.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the advantage for the state, she said, is that the profit insurance companies make on this part of policies could be invested in reducing risk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Public-private insurance partnerships exist in some form in dozens of countries, including England for flood risk and Spain for some risk reduction and emergency response. The U.S. also has a national flood insurance program. And states like Texas and Florida have schemes to socialize some of the costs of home insurance, owing to their frequent hurricanes and flooding.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each country or state’s arrangement is unique. In New Zealand, a set amount of a homeowner’s property insurance, about 600 New Zealand dollars ($336), goes to the government program that covers seismic risk: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides. If a policyholder suffers a loss, they can receive up to 300,000 NZ$ (roughly $170,000). All claim values above that are paid by the insurance company they have coverage with. It only covers seismic hazards.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Each country or state’s arrangement is unique. In New Zealand, a set amount of a homeowner’s property insurance, about 600 New Zealand dollars ($336), goes to the government program that covers seismic risk: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides. If a policyholder suffers a loss, they can receive up to 300,000 NZ$ (roughly $170,000). All claim values above that are paid by the insurance company they have coverage with. It only covers seismic hazards.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In France, a surcharge of 20% is added to property insurance policies. Private insurance companies handle claims, but they are reinsured by a public reinsurance company backed by the French state. Spain also operates a public reinsurance and direct insurance program, also funded by mandatory surcharges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In France, a surcharge of 20% is added to property insurance policies. Private insurance companies handle claims, but they are reinsured by a public reinsurance company backed by the French state. Spain also operates a public reinsurance and direct insurance program, also funded by mandatory surcharges.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While some California insurance experts believe bold ideas are needed to decrease wildfire risk, most are skeptical of Kim’s idea. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Their concerns overlap: public insurance programs spread out costs but don’t necessarily reduce them; they are often overly generous and fiscally irresponsible because they are set up by politicians who want to be reelected.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some experts argue that California’s climate-fueled disasters are so expensive and frequent that it would be foolish for the state to take on so much risk, and that California’s market is in the early phases of a recovery and that shocking it with major changes could delay or reverse the progress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1994257\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A home destroyed by the Boyles Fire in Clearlake on Sept. 9, 2024, after the wildfire swept through the area on Sept. 8, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There aren’t a huge number of what most people would consider successful examples of public insurers. They tend to be plagued by problems,” said Michael Wara, wildfire and insurance expert at Stanford. “And the biggest problem is that when you tell a government agency to set the cost of insurance, they almost always set it too low.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And that means that taxpayers then must bail out the program. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Ideally, place politicians far away from this process,” said Ilan Noy, an expert in the economics of disasters and climate change at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Noy has studied the New Zealand program extensively and is largely a fan of it. However, he did not think an all-natural-hazard system would work in California, where some of the people at the highest risk are also wealthy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When public-private programs work, it’s because the insurance is being subsidized. But would subsidizing these wealthy homeowners be fair? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If California insurance costs are going up, Noy said, “the only way to make them lower is reduce the risk through public policy. You cannot make the costs, the premiums low if the risk is high because someone ends up paying for it.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other experts stressed that the public-private partnerships could work but must be well-designed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s literally a design choice of, what are we solving for?” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/erwann-o-michel-kerjan-5653a9/?isSelfProfile=false\">Erwann Michel-Kerjan\u003c/a>, former executive director of the Wharton Risk Center, now a partner at McKinsey & Company. He has studied France’s system. “Are you solving for fairness?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s literally a design choice of, what are we solving for?” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/erwann-o-michel-kerjan-5653a9/?isSelfProfile=false\">Erwann Michel-Kerjan\u003c/a>, former executive director of the Wharton Risk Center, now a partner at McKinsey & Company. He has studied France’s system. “Are you solving for fairness?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Perhaps fairness is everyone paying for their own risk? But, equally, perhaps it’s unfair for people to see their insurance costs triple and to be priced out of where they grew up, when they didn’t do anything themselves to increase fire risk?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Perhaps fairness is everyone paying for their own risk? But, equally, perhaps it’s unfair for people to see their insurance costs triple and to be priced out of where they grew up, when they didn’t do anything themselves to increase fire risk?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t think anyone has the answer, because there is not the perfect silver bullet,” Michel-Kerjan said. “California is unique, so it’s not like you can take the French system, the Netherlands system, and make it work in California, but you could be inspired by some of the principles behind some of these schemes.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I don’t think anyone has the answer, because there is not the perfect silver bullet,” Michel-Kerjan said. “California is unique, so it’s not like you can take the French system, the Netherlands system, and make it work in California, but you could be inspired by some of the principles behind some of these schemes.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Time and again, California’s wildfires defy expectations. Do taxpayers want to be responsible?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time and again, California’s wildfires defy expectations. Do taxpayers want to be responsible?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A system could be particularly hard to set up in California, right now. Wildfire damage is enormous, and costs are skyrocketing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Experts worry that creating an all-hazard system in California would concentrate fire risk into one program, instead of allowing private insurance companies to spread the costs out across the country, among many different policies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Experts worry that creating an all-hazard system in California would concentrate fire risk into one program, instead of allowing private insurance companies to spread the costs out across the country, among many different policies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If a public insurance scheme relied only on money from within the state, the danger of costs exceeding incoming funds is greater than if the money going into and out of the system flows through national and global companies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire destruction in downtown Altadena, after the Eaton Fire swept through the area northeast of Los Angeles, on Jan. 9, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This proposal,” said Carolyn Kousky, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.insuranceforgood.org/\">Insurance for Good\u003c/a>, a nonprofit that works on insurance solutions, “would concentrate fire risk, not diversify it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Diversification tends to make insurance markets stronger. Currently, California’s property insurance market is diversified among dozens of private carriers who, in turn, are diversified across the country, insuring people in different states, and hold reinsurance through global markets.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Diversification tends to make insurance markets stronger. Currently, California’s property insurance market is diversified among dozens of private carriers who, in turn, are diversified across the country, insuring people in different states, and hold reinsurance through global markets.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You would actually end up costing people more by concentrating fire risk in one program instead of having access to this broader diversification,” Kousky said. “And we’ve seen that global reinsurance markets tend to charge more for public programs, for them to offload directly into the reinsurance market, because they are so often politically manipulated and their business isn’t consistent.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You would actually end up costing people more by concentrating fire risk in one program instead of having access to this broader diversification,” Kousky said. “And we’ve seen that global reinsurance markets tend to charge more for public programs, for them to offload directly into the reinsurance market, because they are so often politically manipulated and their business isn’t consistent.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Reassurance through reinsurance?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reassurance through reinsurance? \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If California were to, instead of insuring homes directly, follow one aspect of the French model, it could create a different problem with reinsurance. Reinsurance is most simply thought of as insurance for insurance companies. In France, this helps keep costs down, and in Florida, too; however, in California, reinsurance costs are not a great place for saving. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If California were to, instead of insuring homes directly, follow one aspect of the French model, it could create a different problem with reinsurance. Reinsurance is most simply thought of as insurance for insurance companies. In France, this helps keep costs down, and in Florida, too; however, in California, reinsurance costs are not a great place for saving. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Florida is the only state in the U.S. that has a public reinsurance program. And it’s actually working pretty well,” Kousky said. That’s because Florida is filled with very small insurers who tend to operate only in the state or the region, and they are poorly capitalized and heavily dependent on insurance. Those costs are high, and they impact the primary market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Florida is the only state in the U.S. that has a public reinsurance program. And it’s actually working pretty well,” Kousky said. That’s because Florida is filled with very small insurers who tend to operate only in the state or the region, and they are poorly capitalized and heavily dependent on insurance. Those costs are high, and they impact the primary market. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside behind as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, California, on July 3, 2024. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Noah Berger/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000450\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside behind as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, California, on July 3, 2024. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Noah Berger/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Putting in a state layer of reinsurance that’s less expensive and — important — stable in its pricing does provide these protective benefits to the homeowners market there. That’s not the case for the homeowners market in California.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Putting in a state layer of reinsurance that’s less expensive and — important — stable in its pricing does provide these protective benefits to the homeowners market there. That’s not the case for the homeowners market in California.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here, she said, most carriers operate nationally, have good financial health, and are getting reinsurance fairly inexpensively. Putting out California fire reinsurance specifically won’t help residents much. Perhaps it would make policies slightly cheaper, but Kousky estimated by not much. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here, she said, most carriers operate nationally, have good financial health, and are getting reinsurance fairly inexpensively. Putting out California fire reinsurance specifically won’t help residents much. Perhaps it would make policies slightly cheaper, but Kousky estimated by not much. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What these public programs mostly do is change who pays. To meaningfully lower how much everyone has to pay, we need to make everyone safer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What these public programs mostly do is change who pays. To meaningfully lower how much everyone has to pay, we need to make everyone safer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Could insurance fees pay for wildfire mitigation?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kim does want to solve the persistent state problem of a lack of funds to invest in home- and community-level fire resilience. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kim does want to solve the persistent state problem of a lack of funds to invest in home- and community-level fire resilience. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State Sen. Ben Allen represents parts of Los Angeles County and is Kim’s opponent for the role of insurance commissioner. He wants to expand grants and financing to help home and business owners safeguard their properties from fire. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State Sen. Ben Allen represents parts of Los Angeles County and is Kim’s opponent for the role of insurance commissioner. He wants to expand grants and financing to help home and business owners safeguard their properties from fire. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wara, at Stanford, said he loves that both insurance commissioner candidates are thinking about how to find money to help communities reduce risk. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wara, at Stanford, said he loves that both insurance commissioner candidates are thinking about how to find money to help communities reduce risk. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Allen, a California state senator, speaks during a forum for candidates for California insurance commissioner at the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) in San Francisco on April 9, 2026. The event brought together candidates to discuss the state’s insurance market, including affordability and coverage challenges facing homeowners.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Wara does not think there would be enough profit in California’s wildfire insurance premiums to siphon enough off for meaningful investment and have a fund that could continue to pay claims. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When disaster strikes, those funds need a big pile of cash to pay claims, Wara said. “If we are spending that money on trying to reduce risk, the challenge is that we might have some bad fires before we’ve actually reduced the risk and then we’re going to need to pay claims, but we won’t have the money.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When disaster strikes, those funds need a big pile of cash to pay claims, Wara said. “If we are spending that money on trying to reduce risk, the challenge is that we might have some bad fires before we’ve actually reduced the risk and then we’re going to need to pay claims, but we won’t have the money.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In bad years like 2017, 2018 and 2020, insurance industry insiders said decades of company profits were wiped out and, by the early 2020s, many companies felt that the California market had become so risky and unprofitable that, for a time, almost no insurance company would offer new homeowner policies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In bad years like 2017, 2018 and 2020, insurance industry insiders said decades of company profits were wiped out and, by the early 2020s, many companies felt that the California market had become so risky and unprofitable that, for a time, almost no insurance company would offer new homeowner policies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That has since loosened up, and California’s insurance market shows some early signs of recovery: more companies entering the market and slowed growth in the FAIR Plan — California’s carrier of last resort. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That has since loosened up, and California’s insurance market shows some early signs of recovery: more companies entering the market and slowed growth in the FAIR Plan — California’s carrier of last resort. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wara likened this to a sick patient who has a long way to go before they can do anything too ambitious. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have taken one dose of antibiotics when it comes to the insurance system in California,” he said. It’ll be a while before it’s fully healthy. When someone is in recovery, “You just say: ‘go to bed, rest, take some antibiotics. Here’s some soup.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have taken one dose of antibiotics when it comes to the insurance system in California,” he said. It’ll be a while before it’s fully healthy. When someone is in recovery, “You just say: ‘go to bed, rest, take some antibiotics. Here’s some soup.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>New and creative ideas are needed in California to shift the state from its current untenable trajectory with climate change, wildfires and electrical utilities, Wara said. But he is skeptical of the contours of the plan currently offered by Kim. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>New and creative ideas are needed in California to shift the state from its current untenable trajectory with climate change, wildfires and electrical utilities, Wara said. But he is skeptical of the contours of the plan currently offered by Kim. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not like the status quo is necessarily going to work,” he said, “We may have to try very different things.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Allen characterized her plan as “taking popular support for comprehensive single-payer health care, which is a real thing that exists in a lot of countries,” he told \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098926/ben-allen-wants-to-take-on-the-insurance-industry-for-you\">KQED’s Political Breakdown\u003c/a>, “and popped it over onto home disaster insurance.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the problem, he said, is that a comprehensive single-payer system doesn’t exist anywhere in the world. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Even if she were able to get this through the legislature, which I don’t think she’d be able to, even if it were a good idea, it would take 10 years to implement at the earliest,” he said. “I’m trying to focus on fixing the problems right now.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kim, if elected, would need to advocate for the idea, have a bill proposed by a legislative partner, see it pass both houses and have it signed by the governor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For her part, Kim said she’s optimistic about her ability to negotiate, build coalitions and get this idea across the finish line. Voters will decide if she gets the chance to try.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Jane Kim is running to be California’s insurance commissioner on the idea that it can. Many experts have reservations, but agree that more needs to be done to reduce insurance costs.",
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"title": "Could a Public Wildfire Insurance Plan Work in California? | KQED",
"description": "Jane Kim is running to be California’s insurance commissioner on the idea that it can. Many experts have reservations, but agree that more needs to be done to reduce insurance costs.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Former \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> Supervisor Jane Kim’s proposal to create a public, natural disaster insurance program for all is the boldest out-of-the-box idea in the race to become California’s next insurance commissioner.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The consumer advocate and attorney proposed a “guaranteed disaster for all insurance program that is publicly run and nonprofit.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The state would collect some of the premiums that you’re already paying to this industry,” she said. “We would invest those dollars in the market, and then we would use excess capital to actually invest in driving down risk, meaning we would invest in fireproofing and floodproofing communities.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim has pointed to New Zealand and France’s arrangements as potential models. In these countries, the government and private companies share risk in the insurance market. She said she wants to see California’s insurance dollars at work to control the state’s insurance costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Could a similar program work here? How would it? KQED spoke with half a dozen experts to take a look at these questions, and many met the idea with skepticism, and also some hints of curiosity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What exactly is Jane Kim proposing?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim’s campaign released a \u003ca href=\"https://www.janekim.org/policy-brief\">policy document\u003c/a> on the proposal on Oct. 8th. It outlines a vision to have the state cover the cost of rebuilding the average home.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The money for this would come from two charges added to a person’s private insurance: one would be based on a home’s wildfire risk, another would be based on the value of the home.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The proposal raises the possibility of adding a surcharge on high-value second homes and vacation properties. The program would be mandatory but administered similar to the California Earthquake Authority, which covers earthquake risk in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002300\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260917-JaneKimPB-04-BL_qed-bf9c36ae-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jane Kim, former San Francisco supervisor and candidate for California Insurance Commissioner, speaks with politics reporter Marisa Lagos for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Sept. 17, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“From the consumer’s perspective, there’s no difference,” Kim said during an interview on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100390/jane-kims-bold-plan-to-protect-you-when-disaster-strikes\">KQED’s Political Breakdown\u003c/a>. “And when you file a claim, you still file it with the insurance industry. But the state pays it out, and they pay it out quickly and fairly.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To fund this, Kim said, the program would happen in stages, “and we’d have to figure out how to capitalize it in the beginning so that we could pay out claims in year one if fires happened.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the advantage for the state, she said, is that the profit insurance companies make on this part of policies could be invested in reducing risk.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Public-private insurance partnerships exist in some form in dozens of countries, including England for flood risk and Spain for some risk reduction and emergency response. The U.S. also has a national flood insurance program. And states like Texas and Florida have schemes to socialize some of the costs of home insurance, owing to their frequent hurricanes and flooding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1994224\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Firefighter Nolan Graham sprays water around a scorched garage as the Boyles fire burns in Clearlake on Sept. 8, 2024. (Noah Berger/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each country or state’s arrangement is unique. In New Zealand, a set amount of a homeowner’s property insurance, about 600 New Zealand dollars ($336), goes to the government program that covers seismic risk: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides. If a policyholder suffers a loss, they can receive up to 300,000 NZ$ (roughly $170,000). All claim values above that are paid by the insurance company they have coverage with. It only covers seismic hazards.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In France, a surcharge of 20% is added to property insurance policies. Private insurance companies handle claims, but they are reinsured by a public reinsurance company backed by the French state. Spain also operates a public reinsurance and direct insurance program, also funded by mandatory surcharges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While some California insurance experts believe bold ideas are needed to decrease wildfire risk, most are skeptical of Kim’s idea. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caution, skepticism, some curiosity, too \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Their concerns overlap: public insurance programs spread out costs but don’t necessarily reduce them; they are often overly generous and fiscally irresponsible because they are set up by politicians who want to be reelected.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some experts argue that California’s climate-fueled disasters are so expensive and frequent that it would be foolish for the state to take on so much risk, and that California’s market is in the early phases of a recovery and that shocking it with major changes could delay or reverse the progress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1994257\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/09/240909-BOYLESFIRE-22-BL-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A home destroyed by the Boyles Fire in Clearlake on Sept. 9, 2024, after the wildfire swept through the area on Sept. 8, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There aren’t a huge number of what most people would consider successful examples of public insurers. They tend to be plagued by problems,” said Michael Wara, wildfire and insurance expert at Stanford. “And the biggest problem is that when you tell a government agency to set the cost of insurance, they almost always set it too low.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And that means that taxpayers then must bail out the program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ideally, place politicians far away from this process,” said Ilan Noy, an expert in the economics of disasters and climate change at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Noy has studied the New Zealand program extensively and is largely a fan of it. However, he did not think an all-natural-hazard system would work in California, where some of the people at the highest risk are also wealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When public-private programs work, it’s because the insurance is being subsidized. But would subsidizing these wealthy homeowners be fair? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If California insurance costs are going up, Noy said, “the only way to make them lower is reduce the risk through public policy. You cannot make the costs, the premiums low if the risk is high because someone ends up paying for it.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other experts stressed that the public-private partnerships could work but must be well-designed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s literally a design choice of, what are we solving for?” said \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/erwann-o-michel-kerjan-5653a9/?isSelfProfile=false\">Erwann Michel-Kerjan\u003c/a>, former executive director of the Wharton Risk Center, now a partner at McKinsey & Company. He has studied France’s system. “Are you solving for fairness?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps fairness is everyone paying for their own risk? But, equally, perhaps it’s unfair for people to see their insurance costs triple and to be priced out of where they grew up, when they didn’t do anything themselves to increase fire risk?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t think anyone has the answer, because there is not the perfect silver bullet,” Michel-Kerjan said. “California is unique, so it’s not like you can take the French system, the Netherlands system, and make it work in California, but you could be inspired by some of the principles behind some of these schemes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time and again, California’s wildfires defy expectations. Do taxpayers want to be responsible?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A system could be particularly hard to set up in California, right now. Wildfire damage is enormous, and costs are skyrocketing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Experts worry that creating an all-hazard system in California would concentrate fire risk into one program, instead of allowing private insurance companies to spread the costs out across the country, among many different policies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If a public insurance scheme relied only on money from within the state, the danger of costs exceeding incoming funds is greater than if the money going into and out of the system flows through national and global companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998029\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/08/240109-CAWindStorm-069_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fire destruction in downtown Altadena, after the Eaton Fire swept through the area northeast of Los Angeles, on Jan. 9, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This proposal,” said Carolyn Kousky, executive director of \u003ca href=\"https://www.insuranceforgood.org/\">Insurance for Good\u003c/a>, a nonprofit that works on insurance solutions, “would concentrate fire risk, not diversify it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Diversification tends to make insurance markets stronger. Currently, California’s property insurance market is diversified among dozens of private carriers who, in turn, are diversified across the country, insuring people in different states, and hold reinsurance through global markets.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You would actually end up costing people more by concentrating fire risk in one program instead of having access to this broader diversification,” Kousky said. “And we’ve seen that global reinsurance markets tend to charge more for public programs, for them to offload directly into the reinsurance market, because they are so often politically manipulated and their business isn’t consistent.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reassurance through reinsurance? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If California were to, instead of insuring homes directly, follow one aspect of the French model, it could create a different problem with reinsurance. Reinsurance is most simply thought of as insurance for insurance companies. In France, this helps keep costs down, and in Florida, too; however, in California, reinsurance costs are not a great place for saving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Florida is the only state in the U.S. that has a public reinsurance program. And it’s actually working pretty well,” Kousky said. That’s because Florida is filled with very small insurers who tend to operate only in the state or the region, and they are poorly capitalized and heavily dependent on insurance. Those costs are high, and they impact the primary market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/03/OrovilleWildfireAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A boat crosses Lake Oroville with a smoldering hillside behind as the Thompson Fire burns in Oroville, California, on July 3, 2024. (Noah Berger/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Putting in a state layer of reinsurance that’s less expensive and — important — stable in its pricing does provide these protective benefits to the homeowners market there. That’s not the case for the homeowners market in California.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here, she said, most carriers operate nationally, have good financial health, and are getting reinsurance fairly inexpensively. Putting out California fire reinsurance specifically won’t help residents much. Perhaps it would make policies slightly cheaper, but Kousky estimated by not much. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What these public programs mostly do is change who pays. To meaningfully lower how much everyone has to pay, we need to make everyone safer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Could insurance fees pay for wildfire mitigation?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim does want to solve the persistent state problem of a lack of funds to invest in home- and community-level fire resilience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State Sen. Ben Allen represents parts of Los Angeles County and is Kim’s opponent for the role of insurance commissioner. He wants to expand grants and financing to help home and business owners safeguard their properties from fire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wara, at Stanford, said he loves that both insurance commissioner candidates are thinking about how to find money to help communities reduce risk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/260409-InsuranceCandidateForum-12-BL_qed-708498f7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ben Allen, a California state senator, speaks during a forum for candidates for California insurance commissioner at the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) in San Francisco on April 9, 2026. The event brought together candidates to discuss the state’s insurance market, including affordability and coverage challenges facing homeowners. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Wara does not think there would be enough profit in California’s wildfire insurance premiums to siphon enough off for meaningful investment and have a fund that could continue to pay claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When disaster strikes, those funds need a big pile of cash to pay claims, Wara said. “If we are spending that money on trying to reduce risk, the challenge is that we might have some bad fires before we’ve actually reduced the risk and then we’re going to need to pay claims, but we won’t have the money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In bad years like 2017, 2018 and 2020, insurance industry insiders said decades of company profits were wiped out and, by the early 2020s, many companies felt that the California market had become so risky and unprofitable that, for a time, almost no insurance company would offer new homeowner policies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That has since loosened up, and California’s insurance market shows some early signs of recovery: more companies entering the market and slowed growth in the FAIR Plan — California’s carrier of last resort. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wara likened this to a sick patient who has a long way to go before they can do anything too ambitious. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have taken one dose of antibiotics when it comes to the insurance system in California,” he said. It’ll be a while before it’s fully healthy. When someone is in recovery, “You just say: ‘go to bed, rest, take some antibiotics. Here’s some soup.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>New and creative ideas are needed in California to shift the state from its current untenable trajectory with climate change, wildfires and electrical utilities, Wara said. But he is skeptical of the contours of the plan currently offered by Kim. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not like the status quo is necessarily going to work,” he said, “We may have to try very different things.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Allen characterized her plan as “taking popular support for comprehensive single-payer health care, which is a real thing that exists in a lot of countries,” he told \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098926/ben-allen-wants-to-take-on-the-insurance-industry-for-you\">KQED’s Political Breakdown\u003c/a>, “and popped it over onto home disaster insurance.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the problem, he said, is that a comprehensive single-payer system doesn’t exist anywhere in the world. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Even if she were able to get this through the legislature, which I don’t think she’d be able to, even if it were a good idea, it would take 10 years to implement at the earliest,” he said. “I’m trying to focus on fixing the problems right now.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kim, if elected, would need to advocate for the idea, have a bill proposed by a legislative partner, see it pass both houses and have it signed by the governor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For her part, Kim said she’s optimistic about her ability to negotiate, build coalitions and get this idea across the finish line. Voters will decide if she gets the chance to try.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "a-potential-catastrophe-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-prepares-for-super-el-nino",
"title": "‘A Potential Catastrophe’: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Prepares for Super El Niño",
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"headTitle": "‘A Potential Catastrophe’: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Prepares for Super El Niño | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Aaron Lickingteller pointed down from the top of one of the westernmost levees in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento-san-joaquin-delta\">Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta\u003c/a> to the land 25 feet below. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without constant maintenance work, he said, these levees degrade quickly. “Squirrel holes, dead trees, little leaks, a little bit of erosion. Next thing you know, you’re springing a leak,” he said. “That leak is like a zipper on a pair of pants. You just unzip that, and everything comes out, you know what I mean, or goes in.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like most Delta islands, Twitchell Island sits below sea level. It is less of an island, more of a bowl. On either side run the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, which together capture about 40% of the state’s runoff. This year, as California faces what experts are calling “Super El Niño” conditions, residents in the Delta are preparing for the prospect of devastating flooding. But they have faced tough conditions before, and while they are readying for worst-case scenarios, some feel a hard-earned confidence that comes from decades of work to improve levees and response systems. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002243\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kjeldsen, Sinnock and Neudeck, Inc. construction inspector, Aaron Lickingteller, speaks to a KQED reporter in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But if predictions hold, keeping the water out won’t be an easy task. The volume of water pushing against the Delta’s roughly 1,100 miles of levees — many built by hand more than a hundred years ago — will be much higher. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With warmer ocean temperatures, tide levels and storm surges will rise, and wet, warm storm systems will become stronger and more frequent. In a possible scenario this year, a supercharged King Tide may coincide with an atmospheric river, sending powerful floodwaters downhill from the Sierra Nevada to meet a water level in the Delta up to six feet higher than normal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just behind Lickingteller, a cargo ship passed by, its wake breaking against the levee. He walked further along the levee’s interior to a construction site, heavy machinery crawling across the bare, brown earth. “Things have to get messy before they get put back together,” he said. This is the current levee improvement area for KSN, Inc., the engineering company he works for — improvements that never stop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002247\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kay Dix Ranch owner, Daniel Wilson, speaks to a KQED reporter in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>As he explained the risks of this coming winter, the wind gusted from the Carquinez Strait. “By the time the wind comes and smashes the water here, it’s got a lot of force.” If that force is coupled with a high water event, “you’re just looking for a potential catastrophe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the eastern end of the Delta, fifth-generation farmer Daniel Wilson said he has a different set of worries. He leaned on an enormous pear-sorting machine, under a shade awning, away from the sun. Behind him were rows of pear and cherry trees — besides irrigation, no water in sight. While the water on Twitchell Island is always close to the top of the levee, on this eastern side the level is dependent on river flow rate, with much more seasonal variation. Most of the year, Wilson said, water isn’t a threat. But during the winter, large storms send powerful surges of water downstream. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When it does go that big, it breaks all the levies [upriver] and all hell breaks loose.” Wilson recalled the worst flooding years in recent memory, and said he has “every reason to believe” this year could be worse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Their feet haven’t been wet lately’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Delta, once a 700,000-acre tidal marsh, is no stranger to flooding. In 1972, a levee failure inundated Brannan-Andrus Island, including the historic town of Isleton, causing $20 million in damage. In January of 1983, Mildred Island flooded when King Tides coincided with an atmospheric river, and it remains underwater to this day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 1986, more than 30,000 acres of the Delta were flooded, and in 1997, snows from a cold winter storm melted rapidly by rain from a warm atmospheric river, creating floodwaters that ravaged both the Sacramento and San Joaquin systems. That event remains the flood of record for the Delta, flooding Tyler Island, among others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002241\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pumps remove water from Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>This episodic flooding, while costing lives and money, has also led to increased funding to strengthen the Delta’s fragile levee system. Chris Neudeck, president of KSN, Inc., said that since 1972, there’s been a marked improvement in the height and quality of levees. One of the reasons for this? Southern California depends on freshwater that flows through the Delta until Tracy, where it’s pumped south. Half of California’s water supply flows through the Delta and is delivered to three out of five Californians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For that freshwater to stay fresh, the Delta system has to stay intact, Neudeck said. Otherwise, saltwater encroaches too far upstream. In the past, such as the 1972 Brannan-Andrus flood, the salinity line encroached too far east and the state stopped pumping water south. Because of the improvements, there hasn’t been an island flooded by a levee failure in over 20 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Neudeck said California’s leaders are not spending enough money protecting this vital chokepoint. “I’ll be frank, they’re irresponsible,” he said. “It’s just too convenient to forgo expenditures, when their feet haven’t been wet lately.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Delta of the future\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campbell Ingram, executive officer of the Delta Conservancy, a state agency focused on ecosystem restoration in the Delta, acknowledged the improved levees, but said the system is still under threat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s absolutely a credit to them and great, but I think many people, myself included, have serious doubts about the long-term viability of the Delta given climate change and increasing sea level rising, increasing storm magnitude,” Ingram said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A report from another state agency, the Delta Stewardship Council, found that by 2085, 21% of the Delta’s population, 68% of its land, $22 billion in assets and more than $5 billion in annual economic activity would be exposed by a 100-year flood event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002244\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Conservation Farms and Ranches director, Jerred Dixon, and The Nature Conservancy director of land protection and stewardship speak to a KQED reporter in Thornton on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the primary problems is that the Delta keeps on sinking. Much of the Delta rests on peat, a spongy soil that, while fertile for farming, risks further subsidence when planted with traditional row crops like corn. “There are a 150,000 acres out there in the center of the Delta between twenty and thirty feet below sea level,” Ingram said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jerred Dixon, a fifth-generation Delta farmer, is piloting a way to create a more resilient future on Staten Island. Owned by The Nature Conservancy and managed by Dixon, the island is now an economically viable, wildlife-friendly farm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s right at the neck of two of the three rivers that feed from the Sacramento River to the San Joaquin for fresh drinking water for the south. And also a kind of a bottleneck for migratory birds,” Dixon said. He described the fragile economic and ecological ecosystem of the Delta alongside his own life, growing up five miles from Staten Island. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My whole life was spent in the Delta, and it’s kind of a little bit in my blood,” Dixon said with a smile. “This is the last Wild West of California.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002238\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Levees protect Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Dixon parked his truck on top of the levee near the meeting of the North and South forks of the Mokelumne River. He pointed toward little saplings, protected by plastic, on the river side – it costs about $5 million a mile to do this levee rehabilitation, he said, laughing. Then he looked over the island to a conservation easement that protects the migratory birds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re making it that agricultural ridge, but still being able to provide that habitat for the birds and foraging and roosting habitat.” On the mineral soil, he can grow corn and alfalfa and triticale, and toward the lower end, a mixture of rice and wetlands, which prevent further subsidence, sequester carbon, and provide habitat for migrating sandhill cranes.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A large portion of the global population of cranes spend their winter here in the Delta. “The sun is going down behind Mount Diablo, and there’s 50,000 birds coming in,” said Rodd Kesley, California land program director with The Nature Conservancy, of Staten Island. “It’s magical.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s no future of California that’s very bright without the Delta actually being functional and intact in some new ways, not business as usual but toward a future that makes sure we’re still able to deliver the water,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re always kind of on edge’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zak Thelen, a bartender at Tony’s Place in Walnut Grove, said the risk of flooding is a fact of life for Delta residents. “We’re always kind of on edge.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Delta living means driving long distances to get to grocery stores and other basic needs. And even the frequent, minor flooding can make life difficult. But, over time, you get “used to it,” he said. This year, though, feels different. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve had a lot of people talk about this El Niño.” He said he hoped for the same minor flooding they deal with every year, instead of what “we always dread about it, the levees breaking.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Zak Thelen, a bartender at Tony’s Place in Walnut Grove, poses for a portrait in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026. Thelen says that he doesn’t have an exact plan for if the roads flood around Walnut Grove. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Delta, living with the constant threat of flooding breeds a particular kind of acquiescence and resilience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We really don’t have anything to stop it in big years,” Dixon said. “One island kinda always goes down in bad years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wilson, meanwhile, hasn’t planted crops on one of the smaller islands on his farm because of the flooding risk. “Will somebody flood this year? Probably, somewhere in the Delta. Hopefully not us, but it’s hard to say.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"2002248\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002248\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sandbags and water barriers pile up at a flood fight material storage yard in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2002239\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Levees protect Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back on Twitchell Island, Lickingteller said that they’re ready. “There’ll be 24/7 levee patrols when the waters are high, and it’s constantly raining, winds blowing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if a levee were to fail, it would be all hands on deck — farmers, landowners, engineers and emergency response — all working together in an effort they call “flood fighting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Things happen quick,” he said. You could be out checking the levee, and everything’s fine, then “five minutes later this whole thing collapsed.”\u003cbr>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aaron Lickingteller pointed down from the top of one of the westernmost levees in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento-san-joaquin-delta\">Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta\u003c/a> to the land 25 feet below. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Aaron Lickingteller pointed down from the top of one of the westernmost levees in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento-san-joaquin-delta\">Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta\u003c/a> to the land 25 feet below. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Without constant maintenance work, he said, these levees degrade quickly. “Squirrel holes, dead trees, little leaks, a little bit of erosion. Next thing you know, you’re springing a leak,” he said. “That leak is like a zipper on a pair of pants. You just unzip that, and everything comes out, you know what I mean, or goes in.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Without constant maintenance work, he said, these levees degrade quickly. “Squirrel holes, dead trees, little leaks, a little bit of erosion. Next thing you know, you’re springing a leak,” he said. “That leak is like a zipper on a pair of pants. You just unzip that, and everything comes out, you know what I mean, or goes in.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like most Delta islands, Twitchell Island sits below sea level. It is less of an island, more of a bowl. On either side run the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, which together capture about 40% of the state’s runoff. This year, as California faces what experts are calling “Super El Niño” conditions, residents in the Delta are preparing for the prospect of devastating flooding. But they have faced tough conditions before, and while they are readying for worst-case scenarios, some feel a hard-earned confidence that comes from decades of work to improve levees and response systems. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Like most Delta islands, Twitchell Island sits below sea level. It is less of an island, more of a bowl. On either side run the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, which together capture about 40% of the state’s runoff. This year, as California faces what experts are calling “Super El Niño” conditions, residents in the Delta are preparing for the prospect of devastating flooding. But they have faced tough conditions before, and while they are readying for worst-case scenarios, some feel a hard-earned confidence that comes from decades of work to improve levees and response systems. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002243\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kjeldsen, Sinnock and Neudeck, Inc. construction inspector, Aaron Lickingteller, speaks to a KQED reporter in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But if predictions hold, keeping the water out won’t be an easy task. The volume of water pushing against the Delta’s roughly 1,100 miles of levees — many built by hand more than a hundred years ago — will be much higher. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But if predictions hold, keeping the water out won’t be an easy task. The volume of water pushing against the Delta’s roughly 1,100 miles of levees — many built by hand more than a hundred years ago — will be much higher. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With warmer ocean temperatures, tide levels and storm surges will rise, and wet, warm storm systems will become stronger and more frequent. In a possible scenario this year, a supercharged King Tide may coincide with an atmospheric river, sending powerful floodwaters downhill from the Sierra Nevada to meet a water level in the Delta up to six feet higher than normal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With warmer ocean temperatures, tide levels and storm surges will rise, and wet, warm storm systems will become stronger and more frequent. In a possible scenario this year, a supercharged King Tide may coincide with an atmospheric river, sending powerful floodwaters downhill from the Sierra Nevada to meet a water level in the Delta up to six feet higher than normal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just behind Lickingteller, a cargo ship passed by, its wake breaking against the levee. He walked further along the levee’s interior to a construction site, heavy machinery crawling across the bare, brown earth. “Things have to get messy before they get put back together,” he said. This is the current levee improvement area for KSN, Inc., the engineering company he works for — improvements that never stop. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Just behind Lickingteller, a cargo ship passed by, its wake breaking against the levee. He walked further along the levee’s interior to a construction site, heavy machinery crawling across the bare, brown earth. “Things have to get messy before they get put back together,” he said. This is the current levee improvement area for KSN, Inc., the engineering company he works for — improvements that never stop. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002247\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kay Dix Ranch owner, Daniel Wilson, speaks to a KQED reporter in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002247\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kay Dix Ranch owner, Daniel Wilson, speaks to a KQED reporter in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As he explained the risks of this coming winter, the wind gusted from the Carquinez Strait. “By the time the wind comes and smashes the water here, it’s got a lot of force.” If that force is coupled with a high water event, “you’re just looking for a potential catastrophe.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As he explained the risks of this coming winter, the wind gusted from the Carquinez Strait. “By the time the wind comes and smashes the water here, it’s got a lot of force.” If that force is coupled with a high water event, “you’re just looking for a potential catastrophe.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the eastern end of the Delta, fifth-generation farmer Daniel Wilson said he has a different set of worries. He leaned on an enormous pear-sorting machine, under a shade awning, away from the sun. Behind him were rows of pear and cherry trees — besides irrigation, no water in sight. While the water on Twitchell Island is always close to the top of the levee, on this eastern side the level is dependent on river flow rate, with much more seasonal variation. Most of the year, Wilson said, water isn’t a threat. But during the winter, large storms send powerful surges of water downstream. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On the eastern end of the Delta, fifth-generation farmer Daniel Wilson said he has a different set of worries. He leaned on an enormous pear-sorting machine, under a shade awning, away from the sun. Behind him were rows of pear and cherry trees — besides irrigation, no water in sight. While the water on Twitchell Island is always close to the top of the levee, on this eastern side the level is dependent on river flow rate, with much more seasonal variation. Most of the year, Wilson said, water isn’t a threat. But during the winter, large storms send powerful surges of water downstream. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When it does go that big, it breaks all the levies [upriver] and all hell breaks loose.” Wilson recalled the worst flooding years in recent memory, and said he has “every reason to believe” this year could be worse. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When it does go that big, it breaks all the levies [upriver] and all hell breaks loose.” Wilson recalled the worst flooding years in recent memory, and said he has “every reason to believe” this year could be worse. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘Their feet haven’t been wet lately’ ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Their feet haven’t been wet lately’ \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Their feet haven’t been wet lately’ \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Delta, once a 700,000-acre tidal marsh, is no stranger to flooding. In 1972, a levee failure inundated Brannan-Andrus Island, including the historic town of Isleton, causing $20 million in damage. In January of 1983, Mildred Island flooded when King Tides coincided with an atmospheric river, and it remains underwater to this day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Delta, once a 700,000-acre tidal marsh, is no stranger to flooding. In 1972, a levee failure inundated Brannan-Andrus Island, including the historic town of Isleton, causing $20 million in damage. In January of 1983, Mildred Island flooded when King Tides coincided with an atmospheric river, and it remains underwater to this day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 1986, more than 30,000 acres of the Delta were flooded, and in 1997, snows from a cold winter storm melted rapidly by rain from a warm atmospheric river, creating floodwaters that ravaged both the Sacramento and San Joaquin systems. That event remains the flood of record for the Delta, flooding Tyler Island, among others. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 1986, more than 30,000 acres of the Delta were flooded, and in 1997, snows from a cold winter storm melted rapidly by rain from a warm atmospheric river, creating floodwaters that ravaged both the Sacramento and San Joaquin systems. That event remains the flood of record for the Delta, flooding Tyler Island, among others. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002241\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pumps remove water from Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002241\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pumps remove water from Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This episodic flooding, while costing lives and money, has also led to increased funding to strengthen the Delta’s fragile levee system. Chris Neudeck, president of KSN, Inc., said that since 1972, there’s been a marked improvement in the height and quality of levees. One of the reasons for this? Southern California depends on freshwater that flows through the Delta until Tracy, where it’s pumped south. Half of California’s water supply flows through the Delta and is delivered to three out of five Californians.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This episodic flooding, while costing lives and money, has also led to increased funding to strengthen the Delta’s fragile levee system. Chris Neudeck, president of KSN, Inc., said that since 1972, there’s been a marked improvement in the height and quality of levees. One of the reasons for this? Southern California depends on freshwater that flows through the Delta until Tracy, where it’s pumped south. Half of California’s water supply flows through the Delta and is delivered to three out of five Californians.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For that freshwater to stay fresh, the Delta system has to stay intact, Neudeck said. Otherwise, saltwater encroaches too far upstream. In the past, such as the 1972 Brannan-Andrus flood, the salinity line encroached too far east and the state stopped pumping water south. Because of the improvements, there hasn’t been an island flooded by a levee failure in over 20 years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For that freshwater to stay fresh, the Delta system has to stay intact, Neudeck said. Otherwise, saltwater encroaches too far upstream. In the past, such as the 1972 Brannan-Andrus flood, the salinity line encroached too far east and the state stopped pumping water south. Because of the improvements, there hasn’t been an island flooded by a levee failure in over 20 years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, Neudeck said California’s leaders are not spending enough money protecting this vital chokepoint. “I’ll be frank, they’re irresponsible,” he said. “It’s just too convenient to forgo expenditures, when their feet haven’t been wet lately.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, Neudeck said California’s leaders are not spending enough money protecting this vital chokepoint. “I’ll be frank, they’re irresponsible,” he said. “It’s just too convenient to forgo expenditures, when their feet haven’t been wet lately.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The Delta of the future",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Delta of the future\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Delta of the future\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Campbell Ingram, executive officer of the Delta Conservancy, a state agency focused on ecosystem restoration in the Delta, acknowledged the improved levees, but said the system is still under threat.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Campbell Ingram, executive officer of the Delta Conservancy, a state agency focused on ecosystem restoration in the Delta, acknowledged the improved levees, but said the system is still under threat.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s absolutely a credit to them and great, but I think many people, myself included, have serious doubts about the long-term viability of the Delta given climate change and increasing sea level rising, increasing storm magnitude,” Ingram said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That’s absolutely a credit to them and great, but I think many people, myself included, have serious doubts about the long-term viability of the Delta given climate change and increasing sea level rising, increasing storm magnitude,” Ingram said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A report from another state agency, the Delta Stewardship Council, found that by 2085, 21% of the Delta’s population, 68% of its land, $22 billion in assets and more than $5 billion in annual economic activity would be exposed by a 100-year flood event. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A report from another state agency, the Delta Stewardship Council, found that by 2085, 21% of the Delta’s population, 68% of its land, $22 billion in assets and more than $5 billion in annual economic activity would be exposed by a 100-year flood event. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002244\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Conservation Farms and Ranches director, Jerred Dixon, and The Nature Conservancy director of land protection and stewardship speak to a KQED reporter in Thornton on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002244\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Conservation Farms and Ranches director, Jerred Dixon, and The Nature Conservancy director of land protection and stewardship speak to a KQED reporter in Thornton on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the primary problems is that the Delta keeps on sinking. Much of the Delta rests on peat, a spongy soil that, while fertile for farming, risks further subsidence when planted with traditional row crops like corn. “There are a 150,000 acres out there in the center of the Delta between twenty and thirty feet below sea level,” Ingram said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of the primary problems is that the Delta keeps on sinking. Much of the Delta rests on peat, a spongy soil that, while fertile for farming, risks further subsidence when planted with traditional row crops like corn. “There are a 150,000 acres out there in the center of the Delta between twenty and thirty feet below sea level,” Ingram said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jerred Dixon, a fifth-generation Delta farmer, is piloting a way to create a more resilient future on Staten Island. Owned by The Nature Conservancy and managed by Dixon, the island is now an economically viable, wildlife-friendly farm.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jerred Dixon, a fifth-generation Delta farmer, is piloting a way to create a more resilient future on Staten Island. Owned by The Nature Conservancy and managed by Dixon, the island is now an economically viable, wildlife-friendly farm.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s right at the neck of two of the three rivers that feed from the Sacramento River to the San Joaquin for fresh drinking water for the south. And also a kind of a bottleneck for migratory birds,” Dixon said. He described the fragile economic and ecological ecosystem of the Delta alongside his own life, growing up five miles from Staten Island. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s right at the neck of two of the three rivers that feed from the Sacramento River to the San Joaquin for fresh drinking water for the south. And also a kind of a bottleneck for migratory birds,” Dixon said. He described the fragile economic and ecological ecosystem of the Delta alongside his own life, growing up five miles from Staten Island. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My whole life was spent in the Delta, and it’s kind of a little bit in my blood,” Dixon said with a smile. “This is the last Wild West of California.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“My whole life was spent in the Delta, and it’s kind of a little bit in my blood,” Dixon said with a smile. “This is the last Wild West of California.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002238\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Levees protect Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002238\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Levees protect Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dixon parked his truck on top of the levee near the meeting of the North and South forks of the Mokelumne River. He pointed toward little saplings, protected by plastic, on the river side – it costs about $5 million a mile to do this levee rehabilitation, he said, laughing. Then he looked over the island to a conservation easement that protects the migratory birds. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Dixon parked his truck on top of the levee near the meeting of the North and South forks of the Mokelumne River. He pointed toward little saplings, protected by plastic, on the river side – it costs about $5 million a mile to do this levee rehabilitation, he said, laughing. Then he looked over the island to a conservation easement that protects the migratory birds. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re making it that agricultural ridge, but still being able to provide that habitat for the birds and foraging and roosting habitat.” On the mineral soil, he can grow corn and alfalfa and triticale, and toward the lower end, a mixture of rice and wetlands, which prevent further subsidence, sequester carbon, and provide habitat for migrating sandhill cranes.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A large portion of the global population of cranes spend their winter here in the Delta. “The sun is going down behind Mount Diablo, and there’s 50,000 birds coming in,” said Rodd Kesley, California land program director with The Nature Conservancy, of Staten Island. “It’s magical.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re making it that agricultural ridge, but still being able to provide that habitat for the birds and foraging and roosting habitat.” On the mineral soil, he can grow corn and alfalfa and triticale, and toward the lower end, a mixture of rice and wetlands, which prevent further subsidence, sequester carbon, and provide habitat for migrating sandhill cranes.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A large portion of the global population of cranes spend their winter here in the Delta. “The sun is going down behind Mount Diablo, and there’s 50,000 birds coming in,” said Rodd Kesley, California land program director with The Nature Conservancy, of Staten Island. “It’s magical.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s no future of California that’s very bright without the Delta actually being functional and intact in some new ways, not business as usual but toward a future that makes sure we’re still able to deliver the water,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There’s no future of California that’s very bright without the Delta actually being functional and intact in some new ways, not business as usual but toward a future that makes sure we’re still able to deliver the water,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘We’re always kind of on edge’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re always kind of on edge’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Zak Thelen, a bartender at Tony’s Place in Walnut Grove, said the risk of flooding is a fact of life for Delta residents. “We’re always kind of on edge.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Zak Thelen, a bartender at Tony’s Place in Walnut Grove, said the risk of flooding is a fact of life for Delta residents. “We’re always kind of on edge.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Delta living means driving long distances to get to grocery stores and other basic needs. And even the frequent, minor flooding can make life difficult. But, over time, you get “used to it,” he said. This year, though, feels different. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Delta living means driving long distances to get to grocery stores and other basic needs. And even the frequent, minor flooding can make life difficult. But, over time, you get “used to it,” he said. This year, though, feels different. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve had a lot of people talk about this El Niño.” He said he hoped for the same minor flooding they deal with every year, instead of what “we always dread about it, the levees breaking.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I’ve had a lot of people talk about this El Niño.” He said he hoped for the same minor flooding they deal with every year, instead of what “we always dread about it, the levees breaking.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Zak Thelen, a bartender at Tony’s Place in Walnut Grove, poses for a portrait in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026. Thelen says that he doesn’t have an exact plan for if the roads flood around Walnut Grove.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002245\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Zak Thelen, a bartender at Tony’s Place in Walnut Grove, poses for a portrait in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026. Thelen says that he doesn’t have an exact plan for if the roads flood around Walnut Grove.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Across the Delta, living with the constant threat of flooding breeds a particular kind of acquiescence and resilience. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We really don’t have anything to stop it in big years,” Dixon said. “One island kinda always goes down in bad years.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We really don’t have anything to stop it in big years,” Dixon said. “One island kinda always goes down in bad years.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wilson, meanwhile, hasn’t planted crops on one of the smaller islands on his farm because of the flooding risk. “Will somebody flood this year? Probably, somewhere in the Delta. Hopefully not us, but it’s hard to say.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wilson, meanwhile, hasn’t planted crops on one of the smaller islands on his farm because of the flooding risk. “Will somebody flood this year? Probably, somewhere in the Delta. Hopefully not us, but it’s hard to say.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002248\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sandbags and water barriers pile up at a flood fight material storage yard in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002248\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sandbags and water barriers pile up at a flood fight material storage yard in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Back on Twitchell Island, Lickingteller said that they’re ready. “There’ll be 24/7 levee patrols when the waters are high, and it’s constantly raining, winds blowing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Back on Twitchell Island, Lickingteller said that they’re ready. “There’ll be 24/7 levee patrols when the waters are high, and it’s constantly raining, winds blowing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if a levee were to fail, it would be all hands on deck — farmers, landowners, engineers and emergency response — all working together in an effort they call “flood fighting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if a levee were to fail, it would be all hands on deck — farmers, landowners, engineers and emergency response — all working together in an effort they call “flood fighting.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Things happen quick,” he said. You could be out checking the levee, and everything’s fine, then “five minutes later this whole thing collapsed.”\u003cbr>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Things happen quick,” he said. You could be out checking the levee, and everything’s fine, then “five minutes later this whole thing collapsed.”\u003cbr>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a pivotal region for state water supply, sits below sea level and behind aging levees. Ahead of potential flooding from “Super El Niño” conditions, residents are worried, but prepared.\n",
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"title": "‘A Potential Catastrophe’: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Prepares for Super El Niño | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Aaron Lickingteller pointed down from the top of one of the westernmost levees in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento-san-joaquin-delta\">Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta\u003c/a> to the land 25 feet below. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without constant maintenance work, he said, these levees degrade quickly. “Squirrel holes, dead trees, little leaks, a little bit of erosion. Next thing you know, you’re springing a leak,” he said. “That leak is like a zipper on a pair of pants. You just unzip that, and everything comes out, you know what I mean, or goes in.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like most Delta islands, Twitchell Island sits below sea level. It is less of an island, more of a bowl. On either side run the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, which together capture about 40% of the state’s runoff. This year, as California faces what experts are calling “Super El Niño” conditions, residents in the Delta are preparing for the prospect of devastating flooding. But they have faced tough conditions before, and while they are readying for worst-case scenarios, some feel a hard-earned confidence that comes from decades of work to improve levees and response systems. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002243\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-20-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kjeldsen, Sinnock and Neudeck, Inc. construction inspector, Aaron Lickingteller, speaks to a KQED reporter in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>But if predictions hold, keeping the water out won’t be an easy task. The volume of water pushing against the Delta’s roughly 1,100 miles of levees — many built by hand more than a hundred years ago — will be much higher. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With warmer ocean temperatures, tide levels and storm surges will rise, and wet, warm storm systems will become stronger and more frequent. In a possible scenario this year, a supercharged King Tide may coincide with an atmospheric river, sending powerful floodwaters downhill from the Sierra Nevada to meet a water level in the Delta up to six feet higher than normal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Just behind Lickingteller, a cargo ship passed by, its wake breaking against the levee. He walked further along the levee’s interior to a construction site, heavy machinery crawling across the bare, brown earth. “Things have to get messy before they get put back together,” he said. This is the current levee improvement area for KSN, Inc., the engineering company he works for — improvements that never stop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002247\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-49-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kay Dix Ranch owner, Daniel Wilson, speaks to a KQED reporter in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>As he explained the risks of this coming winter, the wind gusted from the Carquinez Strait. “By the time the wind comes and smashes the water here, it’s got a lot of force.” If that force is coupled with a high water event, “you’re just looking for a potential catastrophe.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On the eastern end of the Delta, fifth-generation farmer Daniel Wilson said he has a different set of worries. He leaned on an enormous pear-sorting machine, under a shade awning, away from the sun. Behind him were rows of pear and cherry trees — besides irrigation, no water in sight. While the water on Twitchell Island is always close to the top of the levee, on this eastern side the level is dependent on river flow rate, with much more seasonal variation. Most of the year, Wilson said, water isn’t a threat. But during the winter, large storms send powerful surges of water downstream. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When it does go that big, it breaks all the levies [upriver] and all hell breaks loose.” Wilson recalled the worst flooding years in recent memory, and said he has “every reason to believe” this year could be worse. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Their feet haven’t been wet lately’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Delta, once a 700,000-acre tidal marsh, is no stranger to flooding. In 1972, a levee failure inundated Brannan-Andrus Island, including the historic town of Isleton, causing $20 million in damage. In January of 1983, Mildred Island flooded when King Tides coincided with an atmospheric river, and it remains underwater to this day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 1986, more than 30,000 acres of the Delta were flooded, and in 1997, snows from a cold winter storm melted rapidly by rain from a warm atmospheric river, creating floodwaters that ravaged both the Sacramento and San Joaquin systems. That event remains the flood of record for the Delta, flooding Tyler Island, among others. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002241\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-14-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pumps remove water from Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>This episodic flooding, while costing lives and money, has also led to increased funding to strengthen the Delta’s fragile levee system. Chris Neudeck, president of KSN, Inc., said that since 1972, there’s been a marked improvement in the height and quality of levees. One of the reasons for this? Southern California depends on freshwater that flows through the Delta until Tracy, where it’s pumped south. Half of California’s water supply flows through the Delta and is delivered to three out of five Californians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For that freshwater to stay fresh, the Delta system has to stay intact, Neudeck said. Otherwise, saltwater encroaches too far upstream. In the past, such as the 1972 Brannan-Andrus flood, the salinity line encroached too far east and the state stopped pumping water south. Because of the improvements, there hasn’t been an island flooded by a levee failure in over 20 years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, Neudeck said California’s leaders are not spending enough money protecting this vital chokepoint. “I’ll be frank, they’re irresponsible,” he said. “It’s just too convenient to forgo expenditures, when their feet haven’t been wet lately.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Delta of the future\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campbell Ingram, executive officer of the Delta Conservancy, a state agency focused on ecosystem restoration in the Delta, acknowledged the improved levees, but said the system is still under threat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s absolutely a credit to them and great, but I think many people, myself included, have serious doubts about the long-term viability of the Delta given climate change and increasing sea level rising, increasing storm magnitude,” Ingram said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A report from another state agency, the Delta Stewardship Council, found that by 2085, 21% of the Delta’s population, 68% of its land, $22 billion in assets and more than $5 billion in annual economic activity would be exposed by a 100-year flood event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002244\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-30-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Conservation Farms and Ranches director, Jerred Dixon, and The Nature Conservancy director of land protection and stewardship speak to a KQED reporter in Thornton on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the primary problems is that the Delta keeps on sinking. Much of the Delta rests on peat, a spongy soil that, while fertile for farming, risks further subsidence when planted with traditional row crops like corn. “There are a 150,000 acres out there in the center of the Delta between twenty and thirty feet below sea level,” Ingram said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jerred Dixon, a fifth-generation Delta farmer, is piloting a way to create a more resilient future on Staten Island. Owned by The Nature Conservancy and managed by Dixon, the island is now an economically viable, wildlife-friendly farm.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s right at the neck of two of the three rivers that feed from the Sacramento River to the San Joaquin for fresh drinking water for the south. And also a kind of a bottleneck for migratory birds,” Dixon said. He described the fragile economic and ecological ecosystem of the Delta alongside his own life, growing up five miles from Staten Island. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My whole life was spent in the Delta, and it’s kind of a little bit in my blood,” Dixon said with a smile. “This is the last Wild West of California.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002238\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-04-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Levees protect Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Dixon parked his truck on top of the levee near the meeting of the North and South forks of the Mokelumne River. He pointed toward little saplings, protected by plastic, on the river side – it costs about $5 million a mile to do this levee rehabilitation, he said, laughing. Then he looked over the island to a conservation easement that protects the migratory birds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re making it that agricultural ridge, but still being able to provide that habitat for the birds and foraging and roosting habitat.” On the mineral soil, he can grow corn and alfalfa and triticale, and toward the lower end, a mixture of rice and wetlands, which prevent further subsidence, sequester carbon, and provide habitat for migrating sandhill cranes.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A large portion of the global population of cranes spend their winter here in the Delta. “The sun is going down behind Mount Diablo, and there’s 50,000 birds coming in,” said Rodd Kesley, California land program director with The Nature Conservancy, of Staten Island. “It’s magical.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s no future of California that’s very bright without the Delta actually being functional and intact in some new ways, not business as usual but toward a future that makes sure we’re still able to deliver the water,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re always kind of on edge’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Zak Thelen, a bartender at Tony’s Place in Walnut Grove, said the risk of flooding is a fact of life for Delta residents. “We’re always kind of on edge.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Delta living means driving long distances to get to grocery stores and other basic needs. And even the frequent, minor flooding can make life difficult. But, over time, you get “used to it,” he said. This year, though, feels different. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve had a lot of people talk about this El Niño.” He said he hoped for the same minor flooding they deal with every year, instead of what “we always dread about it, the levees breaking.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002245\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-36-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Zak Thelen, a bartender at Tony’s Place in Walnut Grove, poses for a portrait in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026. Thelen says that he doesn’t have an exact plan for if the roads flood around Walnut Grove. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Delta, living with the constant threat of flooding breeds a particular kind of acquiescence and resilience. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We really don’t have anything to stop it in big years,” Dixon said. “One island kinda always goes down in bad years.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wilson, meanwhile, hasn’t planted crops on one of the smaller islands on his farm because of the flooding risk. “Will somebody flood this year? Probably, somewhere in the Delta. Hopefully not us, but it’s hard to say.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" data-id=\"2002248\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002248\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-51-MC-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sandbags and water barriers pile up at a flood fight material storage yard in Walnut Grove on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2002239\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002239\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/090326-DeltaFlooding-08-MC-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Levees protect Twitchell Island at the intersection of the San Joaquin River and the Three Mile Slough in Rio Vista on Sept. 3, 2026. (Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back on Twitchell Island, Lickingteller said that they’re ready. “There’ll be 24/7 levee patrols when the waters are high, and it’s constantly raining, winds blowing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if a levee were to fail, it would be all hands on deck — farmers, landowners, engineers and emergency response — all working together in an effort they call “flood fighting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Things happen quick,” he said. You could be out checking the levee, and everything’s fine, then “five minutes later this whole thing collapsed.”\u003cbr>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "an-el-nino-driven-kelvin-wave-could-raise-bay-area-sea-levels-and-flooding-risk",
"title": "This Weekend, an El Niño-Driven ‘Kelvin Wave’ Will Raise Bay Area Sea Levels and Flooding Risk",
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"headTitle": "This Weekend, an El Niño-Driven ‘Kelvin Wave’ Will Raise Bay Area Sea Levels and Flooding Risk | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Scientists warn that a deep ocean wave driven by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100741/a-powerful-el-nino-is-brewing-newsom-wants-california-ready-for-the-worst\">El Niño\u003c/a> conditions could raise \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001688/strong-el-nino-may-bring-record-sea-level-and-coastal-flooding-to-bay-area\">Bay Area sea levels\u003c/a> by as much as 9 inches by early next week. That’s on top of sea levels already more than \u003ca href=\"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=9414290\">6 inches above predicted levels\u003c/a> because of warm water along the West Coast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ocean scientists in Santa Cruz said they began noticing the change in water levels on Friday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re just beginning to see the first increases in sea levels associated with the current Kelvin wave,” said \u003ca href=\"https://campusdirectory.ucsc.edu/cd_detail?uid=mwbeck\">Mike Beck\u003c/a>, director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz. “By the end of the weekend we should probably see water levels a foot and a half above normal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Santa Cruz-based swimmer Anna Wolfe-Pauly went swimming with a group at Cowell Beach on Friday morning when she noticed the waves were bigger than normal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was thinking maybe we need to get out of the water because it felt so severe to me,” Wolfe-Pauly said. “My friends were swimming about 200 yards ahead of me, and then all of a sudden I just couldn’t see them anymore, and I was like, that is a lot of water that just descended on the beach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1364\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2028/06/GettyImages-1237523373-scaled-e1753215508590.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a white bike helmet, yellow jacket and black pants rides through several inches of water on a submerged bike trail. Hills and clouds are in the foreground.\" class=\"wp-image-1982386\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An aerial picture taken Jan. 3, 2022, shows a man riding a bike along a flooded Sausalito/Mill Valley bike path during a king tide in Mill Valley. King tides occur when the Earth, moon and sun align in orbit to produce unusually high water levels and can cause local tidal flooding. Over time, sea level rise is raising the height of tidal systems. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers call the pulse of water moving up to the coast a “Kelvin wave” and said it will deliver even more El Niño-associated warm water. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University who studies how climate change affects waters off the U.S. coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s an 83% chance that this year’s El Niño will become “historic” this fall into winter, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml\">October outlook\u003c/a> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. When tropical trade winds weaken or reverse, warm ocean water near Asia can slosh toward the Pacific Coast. That warming has many effects: it can reshape the jet stream and bring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087122/el-nino-is-here-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-bay-area-this-winter\">stormier weather\u003c/a>, disrupt the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, heat coastal waters, raise sea levels and stress marine life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, said it can also trigger Kelvin waves deep in the Pacific Ocean. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The energy first moves toward South America, and when it hits land, it splits and shifts north and south. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A Kelvin wave isn’t a surface wave like a tsunami or a “wall of water that’s moving up the coast or a wave that you can surf or that you’re going to see from the beach or from a boat,” Amaya said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But rather, it’s “a disturbance inside the ocean” moving up the coastline a little bit like the wave that travels around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The wave travels around the stadium, but the people don’t run around,” Fournier said. “The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise deepening the warm layer of the ocean.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100741/a-powerful-el-nino-is-brewing-newsom-wants-california-ready-for-the-worst\">an El Niño year\u003c/a>, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from days to weeks to months. Amaya said a first Kelvin wave moved up the coastline in May and June. A second wave is traveling about 6 miles per hour northward along the California coastline. Amaya said signs suggest a third wave is propagating around the equator. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers worry that the extra push from these Kelvin waves alone will flood coastal areas, worsen erosion and challenge places like Santa Cruz or Pacifica with old sea walls that wrap along the water’s edge. But if the waves arrive during high tide or storms, scientists say flooding could hit low-lying areas like Santa Cruz, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999871/after-king-tides-swamp-marin-san-rafael-weighs-billion-dollar-defenses-against-the-bay\">Marin County\u003c/a> or downtown San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The real concern is an increase in water levels when they come with really extreme wave events, and by the time we get to December, when we get our highest tides of the year, that’s when I have really great concerns,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vitousek said high tides, called spring tides, will push above 6 feet around Oct. 11 and peak on Oct. 27 at 6.68 feet along San Francisco. King tides in late November could rise over 7 feet, and that will be “on top of the Kelvin wave,” Vitousek said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1348\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000074\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-1536x1035.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk through floodwaters on Jan. 5, 2026, in Corte Madera. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That can create a situation where water is getting above critical thresholds that can cause more flooding, more cliff erosion, more dune erosion, more beach erosion,” Vitousek said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amaya said he wants to “temper expectations” and said the Kelvin wave is still weeks away from impacting the region.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen some people who are so concerned that they’re like making a run at Costco for water bottles, but that’s not where we’re at yet,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fournier wants people to understand that this Kelvin wave results from El Niño conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Whatever impacts we see in California, they’re a consequence, but El Niño is not coming,” Fournier said. “Sometimes people can’t differentiate the two.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re just beginning to see the first increases in sea levels associated with the current Kelvin wave,” said \u003ca href=\"https://campusdirectory.ucsc.edu/cd_detail?uid=mwbeck\">Mike Beck\u003c/a>, director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz. “By the end of the weekend we should probably see water levels a foot and a half above normal.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re just beginning to see the first increases in sea levels associated with the current Kelvin wave,” said \u003ca href=\"https://campusdirectory.ucsc.edu/cd_detail?uid=mwbeck\">Mike Beck\u003c/a>, director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz. “By the end of the weekend we should probably see water levels a foot and a half above normal.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Santa Cruz-based swimmer Anna Wolfe-Pauly went swimming with a group at Cowell Beach on Friday morning when she noticed the waves were bigger than normal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2028/06/GettyImages-1237523373-scaled-e1753215508590.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a white bike helmet, yellow jacket and black pants rides through several inches of water on a submerged bike trail. Hills and clouds are in the foreground.\" class=\"wp-image-1982386\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An aerial picture taken Jan. 3, 2022, shows a man riding a bike along a flooded Sausalito/Mill Valley bike path during a king tide in Mill Valley. King tides occur when the Earth, moon and sun align in orbit to produce unusually high water levels and can cause local tidal flooding. Over time, sea level rise is raising the height of tidal systems.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2028/06/GettyImages-1237523373-scaled-e1753215508590.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a white bike helmet, yellow jacket and black pants rides through several inches of water on a submerged bike trail. Hills and clouds are in the foreground.\" class=\"wp-image-1982386\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An aerial picture taken Jan. 3, 2022, shows a man riding a bike along a flooded Sausalito/Mill Valley bike path during a king tide in Mill Valley. King tides occur when the Earth, moon and sun align in orbit to produce unusually high water levels and can cause local tidal flooding. Over time, sea level rise is raising the height of tidal systems.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Researchers call the pulse of water moving up to the coast a “Kelvin wave” and said it will deliver even more El Niño-associated warm water. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Researchers call the pulse of water moving up to the coast a “Kelvin wave” and said it will deliver even more El Niño-associated warm water. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University who studies how climate change affects waters off the U.S. coast. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There’s an 83% chance that this year’s El Niño will become “historic” this fall into winter, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml\">October outlook\u003c/a> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>There’s an 83% chance that this year’s El Niño will become “historic” this fall into winter, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml\">October outlook\u003c/a> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. When tropical trade winds weaken or reverse, warm ocean water near Asia can slosh toward the Pacific Coast. That warming has many effects: it can reshape the jet stream and bring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087122/el-nino-is-here-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-bay-area-this-winter\">stormier weather\u003c/a>, disrupt the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, heat coastal waters, raise sea levels and stress marine life. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. When tropical trade winds weaken or reverse, warm ocean water near Asia can slosh toward the Pacific Coast. That warming has many effects: it can reshape the jet stream and bring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087122/el-nino-is-here-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-bay-area-this-winter\">stormier weather\u003c/a>, disrupt the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, heat coastal waters, raise sea levels and stress marine life. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, said it can also trigger Kelvin waves deep in the Pacific Ocean. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, said it can also trigger Kelvin waves deep in the Pacific Ocean. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The energy first moves toward South America, and when it hits land, it splits and shifts north and south. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A Kelvin wave isn’t a surface wave like a tsunami or a “wall of water that’s moving up the coast or a wave that you can surf or that you’re going to see from the beach or from a boat,” Amaya said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A Kelvin wave isn’t a surface wave like a tsunami or a “wall of water that’s moving up the coast or a wave that you can surf or that you’re going to see from the beach or from a boat,” Amaya said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But rather, it’s “a disturbance inside the ocean” moving up the coastline a little bit like the wave that travels around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But rather, it’s “a disturbance inside the ocean” moving up the coastline a little bit like the wave that travels around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The wave travels around the stadium, but the people don’t run around,” Fournier said. “The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise deepening the warm layer of the ocean.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The wave travels around the stadium, but the people don’t run around,” Fournier said. “The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise deepening the warm layer of the ocean.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100741/a-powerful-el-nino-is-brewing-newsom-wants-california-ready-for-the-worst\">an El Niño year\u003c/a>, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from days to weeks to months. Amaya said a first Kelvin wave moved up the coastline in May and June. A second wave is traveling about 6 miles per hour northward along the California coastline. Amaya said signs suggest a third wave is propagating around the equator. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100741/a-powerful-el-nino-is-brewing-newsom-wants-california-ready-for-the-worst\">an El Niño year\u003c/a>, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from days to weeks to months. Amaya said a first Kelvin wave moved up the coastline in May and June. A second wave is traveling about 6 miles per hour northward along the California coastline. Amaya said signs suggest a third wave is propagating around the equator. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Researchers worry that the extra push from these Kelvin waves alone will flood coastal areas, worsen erosion and challenge places like Santa Cruz or Pacifica with old sea walls that wrap along the water’s edge. But if the waves arrive during high tide or storms, scientists say flooding could hit low-lying areas like Santa Cruz, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999871/after-king-tides-swamp-marin-san-rafael-weighs-billion-dollar-defenses-against-the-bay\">Marin County\u003c/a> or downtown San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Researchers worry that the extra push from these Kelvin waves alone will flood coastal areas, worsen erosion and challenge places like Santa Cruz or Pacifica with old sea walls that wrap along the water’s edge. But if the waves arrive during high tide or storms, scientists say flooding could hit low-lying areas like Santa Cruz, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999871/after-king-tides-swamp-marin-san-rafael-weighs-billion-dollar-defenses-against-the-bay\">Marin County\u003c/a> or downtown San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The real concern is an increase in water levels when they come with really extreme wave events, and by the time we get to December, when we get our highest tides of the year, that’s when I have really great concerns,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The real concern is an increase in water levels when they come with really extreme wave events, and by the time we get to December, when we get our highest tides of the year, that’s when I have really great concerns,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vitousek said high tides, called spring tides, will push above 6 feet around Oct. 11 and peak on Oct. 27 at 6.68 feet along San Francisco. King tides in late November could rise over 7 feet, and that will be “on top of the Kelvin wave,” Vitousek said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Vitousek said high tides, called spring tides, will push above 6 feet around Oct. 11 and peak on Oct. 27 at 6.68 feet along San Francisco. King tides in late November could rise over 7 feet, and that will be “on top of the Kelvin wave,” Vitousek said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That can create a situation where water is getting above critical thresholds that can cause more flooding, more cliff erosion, more dune erosion, more beach erosion,” Vitousek said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Amaya said he wants to “temper expectations” and said the Kelvin wave is still weeks away from impacting the region.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen some people who are so concerned that they’re like making a run at Costco for water bottles, but that’s not where we’re at yet,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fournier wants people to understand that this Kelvin wave results from El Niño conditions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Whatever impacts we see in California, they’re a consequence, but El Niño is not coming,” Fournier said. “Sometimes people can’t differentiate the two.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The deep-ocean wave could push Bay Area tides up by a foot in October.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Scientists warn that a deep ocean wave driven by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100741/a-powerful-el-nino-is-brewing-newsom-wants-california-ready-for-the-worst\">El Niño\u003c/a> conditions could raise \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001688/strong-el-nino-may-bring-record-sea-level-and-coastal-flooding-to-bay-area\">Bay Area sea levels\u003c/a> by as much as 9 inches by early next week. That’s on top of sea levels already more than \u003ca href=\"https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/waterlevels.html?id=9414290\">6 inches above predicted levels\u003c/a> because of warm water along the West Coast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ocean scientists in Santa Cruz said they began noticing the change in water levels on Friday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re just beginning to see the first increases in sea levels associated with the current Kelvin wave,” said \u003ca href=\"https://campusdirectory.ucsc.edu/cd_detail?uid=mwbeck\">Mike Beck\u003c/a>, director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience at UC Santa Cruz. “By the end of the weekend we should probably see water levels a foot and a half above normal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Santa Cruz-based swimmer Anna Wolfe-Pauly went swimming with a group at Cowell Beach on Friday morning when she noticed the waves were bigger than normal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was thinking maybe we need to get out of the water because it felt so severe to me,” Wolfe-Pauly said. “My friends were swimming about 200 yards ahead of me, and then all of a sudden I just couldn’t see them anymore, and I was like, that is a lot of water that just descended on the beach.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1364\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2028/06/GettyImages-1237523373-scaled-e1753215508590.jpg\" alt=\"A man wearing a white bike helmet, yellow jacket and black pants rides through several inches of water on a submerged bike trail. Hills and clouds are in the foreground.\" class=\"wp-image-1982386\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An aerial picture taken Jan. 3, 2022, shows a man riding a bike along a flooded Sausalito/Mill Valley bike path during a king tide in Mill Valley. King tides occur when the Earth, moon and sun align in orbit to produce unusually high water levels and can cause local tidal flooding. Over time, sea level rise is raising the height of tidal systems. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers call the pulse of water moving up to the coast a “Kelvin wave” and said it will deliver even more El Niño-associated warm water. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Kelvin waves are a symptom of El Niño,” said Dillon Amaya, a professor at North Carolina State University who studies how climate change affects waters off the U.S. coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>There’s an 83% chance that this year’s El Niño will become “historic” this fall into winter, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.shtml\">October outlook\u003c/a> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El Niño is marked by warming in the Pacific Ocean’s surface layer. When tropical trade winds weaken or reverse, warm ocean water near Asia can slosh toward the Pacific Coast. That warming has many effects: it can reshape the jet stream and bring \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12087122/el-nino-is-here-heres-what-it-could-mean-for-the-bay-area-this-winter\">stormier weather\u003c/a>, disrupt the ocean’s nutrient-rich upwelling, heat coastal waters, raise sea levels and stress marine life. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sean Vitousek, a research oceanographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, said it can also trigger Kelvin waves deep in the Pacific Ocean. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The energy first moves toward South America, and when it hits land, it splits and shifts north and south. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A Kelvin wave isn’t a surface wave like a tsunami or a “wall of water that’s moving up the coast or a wave that you can surf or that you’re going to see from the beach or from a boat,” Amaya said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But rather, it’s “a disturbance inside the ocean” moving up the coastline a little bit like the wave that travels around a sports stadium, said Severine Fournier, an ocean scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The wave travels around the stadium, but the people don’t run around,” Fournier said. “The disturbance gets passed to the next person, and that disturbance is the sea level rise deepening the warm layer of the ocean.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100741/a-powerful-el-nino-is-brewing-newsom-wants-california-ready-for-the-worst\">an El Niño year\u003c/a>, as many as six Kelvin waves can occur, and the temporarily high seas can last from days to weeks to months. Amaya said a first Kelvin wave moved up the coastline in May and June. A second wave is traveling about 6 miles per hour northward along the California coastline. Amaya said signs suggest a third wave is propagating around the equator. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers worry that the extra push from these Kelvin waves alone will flood coastal areas, worsen erosion and challenge places like Santa Cruz or Pacifica with old sea walls that wrap along the water’s edge. But if the waves arrive during high tide or storms, scientists say flooding could hit low-lying areas like Santa Cruz, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999871/after-king-tides-swamp-marin-san-rafael-weighs-billion-dollar-defenses-against-the-bay\">Marin County\u003c/a> or downtown San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The real concern is an increase in water levels when they come with really extreme wave events, and by the time we get to December, when we get our highest tides of the year, that’s when I have really great concerns,” Beck said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vitousek said high tides, called spring tides, will push above 6 feet around Oct. 11 and peak on Oct. 27 at 6.68 feet along San Francisco. King tides in late November could rise over 7 feet, and that will be “on top of the Kelvin wave,” Vitousek said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1348\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000074\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/02/FloodingCorteMaderaGetty-1536x1035.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk through floodwaters on Jan. 5, 2026, in Corte Madera. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That can create a situation where water is getting above critical thresholds that can cause more flooding, more cliff erosion, more dune erosion, more beach erosion,” Vitousek said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amaya said he wants to “temper expectations” and said the Kelvin wave is still weeks away from impacting the region.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve seen some people who are so concerned that they’re like making a run at Costco for water bottles, but that’s not where we’re at yet,” Amaya said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fournier wants people to understand that this Kelvin wave results from El Niño conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Whatever impacts we see in California, they’re a consequence, but El Niño is not coming,” Fournier said. “Sometimes people can’t differentiate the two.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-franciscos-next-district-10-supervisor-will-inherit-a-toxic-legacy",
"title": "San Francisco’s Next District 10 Supervisor Will Inherit a Toxic Legacy",
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"headTitle": "San Francisco’s Next District 10 Supervisor Will Inherit a Toxic Legacy | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>From the Hunters View housing project, San Francisco resident Joanne Abernathy can look out on two versions of the city: the radioactive, industrial legacy of the city’s past at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">Hunters Point Naval Shipyard\u003c/a> and a technology-driven future rising in downtown skyscrapers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Abernathy grew up taking in this juxtaposition while walking up the hill from her family home in Bayview; her mom later lived in housing atop the slope.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can see everything from up here,” Abernathy said. “You can see the Bay Bridge, and when it’s the Fourth of July you can stand up here and see the fireworks.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://huntersview.info/\">Hunters View\u003c/a> was originally built as temporary housing for shipyard workers. Residents there have long had to advocate for themselves at City Hall, most recently as the promise of thousands of new homes in the city’s southeast corner threatens to push them out. And in the decadeslong cleanup of the contaminated shipyard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Abernathy hopes whoever wins the District 10 supervisor race in November will be the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">neighborhood’s\u003c/a> voice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001940\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidates (from left) Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter, Theo Ellington, and J.R. Eppler participate in a debate at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House in San Francisco on Sept. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need to focus on a supervisor that’s going to stand up for us, because we’re almost one foot in the ground and one foot on the curb,” Abernathy said. “We need the community to have a say-so in [the cleanup]. Build around the community and stop just building around City Hall.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The race to replace Supervisor Shamann Walton comes at a pivotal moment for District 10, a large area on the city’s southeastern edge, as the environmental cleanup of the shipyard continues alongside plans to transform the site into housing, parks and business space. Walton’s replacement will inherit the task of advocating for the neighborhoods most affected by contamination, while also shaping what may become the city’s largest redevelopment projects.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/supervisor-10th-district\">Nine candidates\u003c/a> are vying to represent the sprawling district from Potrero Hill through Bayview to Vistacion Valley. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098461/crypto-ceo-chris-larsen-donates-500000-to-support-political-moderate-in-supervisors-race\">race has caught the attention of the city’s biggest political funders\u003c/a>, like crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, who donated an eye-popping $500,000 to moderate Democrat Theo Ellington’s campaign. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The next supervisor should think about our health, and think about all the people that have been lost to cancer,” Abernathy said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the Cold War, the 866-acre shipyard’s soil and groundwater were contaminated with radioactive chemicals, heavy metals and petroleum fuels from ships brought there after atomic bomb tests. In 1989, the base was declared one of the nation’s most contaminated sites.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After the cleanup concludes — potentially in the middle of the next decade — the city plans to allow developers to reinvent the shipyard. When finished, the 693-acre \u003ca href=\"https://sfocii.org/projects/hunters-point-shipyard-candlestick-point-2/overview\">Candlestick Point-Hunters Point Shipyard project\u003c/a> could include more than 10,000 housing units, two new waterfront neighborhoods and more than 340 acres of parks and open space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Past city-led health surveys found that cancer “is \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfenvironment.org/sites/default/files/fliers/files/sfe_ej_sfhh_community_health_status_assessment.pdf\">a major cause of years of life lost\u003c/a> in Bayview Hunters Point,” but the city did not look into whether contamination at the shipyard contributed to these health problems\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong> Residents are documenting their health conditions, and a local doctor has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">tested people to catalog who has been exposed\u003c/a> to dangerous chemicals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rachel Brahinsky, a University of San Francisco professor in urban studies and politics, said the next supervisor will need to actively “shine a light” on how the Superfund site is a “tremendous liability” that should be viewed as a “San Francisco problem.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They won’t “be treated as a central protagonist in the future of the city,” Brahinsky said. “They have to insist on it and make themselves and their neighborhood be seen in that way. History shows that that person will be sidelined if they don’t step up.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘This is a city-wide issue’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Standing on the worn granite steps of City Hall in June, environmental advocates called on city leaders to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088662/toxic-land-protest-targets-sf-housing-plans-at-contaminated-hunters-point-naval-shipyard\">push for a full cleanup\u003c/a> at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The rally followed the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999631/navy-apologizes-for-11-month-delay-in-reporting-radioactive-material-at-hunters-point\">U.S. Navy’\u003c/a>s disclosure this spring that it found a cabinet filled with several hundred radiological items at the shipyard, the latest discovery at the Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two candidates for supervisor took to the microphone: Ellington and Dion-Jay “D.J.” Brookter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001943\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter crushes grapes at Gratta Wines during Sunday Streets in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Ellington grew up in Bayview and leads the Ruth Williams Opera House, a performing arts and cultural center located there. He said the fight is personal because he lives with his family within the shipyards’ footprint. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you want to protect the people, then you must protect the land,” Ellington said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brookter is a community advocate and former local nonprofit leader who moved to the neighborhood 16 years ago. He said the city needs to invest in the existing neighborhoods around Bayview, not just focus on building new housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are asking for what every family in San Francisco has the right to: clean land, honest science, a transparent government, and a future where our health is not sacrificed for someone else’s timeline,” Brookter said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three candidates have \u003ca href=\"https://campaign.sfethics.org/elections/2026-11-03/contests/bos10.html\">raised the most money\u003c/a>, so far — Ellington, Brookter, and J.R. Eppler — and all told KQED the shipyard would be a main focus. However, none explicitly listed it among their top three priorities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001939\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001939\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate J.R. Eppler talks with attendees at Sunday Streets in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001936\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001936\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Theo Ellington speaks with Sandra O’Neil at Punkin’s 1 Stop Beauty Bar while campaigning in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ellington ranked housing, economic development and transportation as the most important issues. But decades of stalled and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993505/cleanup-of-san-francisco-superfund-site-has-been-badly-mishandled-lawsuit-alleges\">scandal-plagued cleanup efforts\u003c/a>, he said, have taught residents that “nobody takes anyone’s word” about how the Navy cleans up the site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As supervisor, Ellington would push for independent testing before land is transferred to developers, greater transparency and community involvement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to use every rule in the book to push the Navy to do their part, and make sure this development is safe,” Ellington said, adding that he would fight for health screenings, because “exposure records kept today are the evidence families will need tomorrow.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brookter’s top three priorities include: housing stability, economic opportunity and effective government. On the shipyard, he said the “burden is on the government to prove” the land is safe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is a city-wide issue,” Brookter said. “I want to bring my colleagues here to say, look, this is what San Franciscans are facing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brookter said he would fight for an independent review of the cleanup and ensure the community has “meaningful decision-making” in what happens next.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eppler describes his top three priorities as “building complete, vibrant, and connected neighborhoods.” On the shipyard, he told KQED the community needs more transparency from the Navy and regulatory agencies overseeing the cleanup. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>Navy officials have \u003ca href=\"https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Home/News-Detail/Article/4228126/navy-begins-final-soil-cleanup-at-former-hunters-point-naval-shipyard-warehouse/\">said\u003c/a> they are dedicated to ensuring the site is safe, environmentally sound, and benefits the surrounding community as it moves toward redevelopment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Residents should not be expected to take the Navy, its contractors, or City Hall at their word,” Eppler said. “I would push for every parcel to be cleaned to a residential standard and independently verified before it is transferred, opened to the public, or developed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eppler said the cleanup should not be rushed. Still, other areas could be redeveloped in the meantime because “District 10 should not have to choose between protecting public health and creating economic opportunity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The city needs to rediscover the southeast,” Eppler said. “We’ve built the arsenal of democracy at the shipyard. It’s time for us to be on the map of San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The district is ‘not forgotten’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gail Hampton lives in senior housing on the hill overlooking the shipyard. She moved to the district more than half a century ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The next supervisor needs to pay more attention to the shipyard, period,” Hampton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tonia Randell, a Bayview environmental advocate and resident, said the next supervisor must understand that the “environment has to be protected” if the neighborhood is going to thrive — especially as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979473/us-navy-acknowledges-toxic-groundwater-rising-in-bayview-hunters-point\">future floodwaters could expose the community\u003c/a> to further harm from the toxic site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001945\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Theo Ellington campaigns in the Bayview in San Francisco on Aug. 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“If someone who’s in that office doesn’t understand that, doesn’t attend the meetings or listen to the experts, then we’re gonna be cooked,” Randell said. “It’s a beautiful place, but it has underlying secrets that are deadly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arieann Harrison, executive director of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, said she will miss Walton’s leadership.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He has shown the community that he’s willing to step up and be a part of the actions that we are taking,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harrison has helped spearhead a campaign for community oversight, independent testing, cleanup to the highest standards, reparations for impacted residents and long-term monitoring. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She worries development could shift demographics and reduce representation for existing residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001938\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter talks with attendees at Sunday Streets in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“We will probably not have any representation moving forward after this election, that is, us — Black or people of color — because of the influx of money,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brahinsky, who is writing a book about Bayview environmental leaders, said: “The future is not written yet.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think there is still an opportunity because people like [Harrison] are pushing on the outcomes at the shipyard,” Brahinsky said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brahinsky hopes the district elects someone “who will represent the underdogs” and is “willing to keep pressure on continuously.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sometimes that means someone who’s not worried about what’s next for them politically,” Brahinsky said. “The district is, in some ways, the last industrial heart of San Francisco. In that sense, it’s not forgotten at all and is central to the functioning of the city.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From the Hunters View housing project, San Francisco resident Joanne Abernathy can look out on two versions of the city: the radioactive, industrial legacy of the city’s past at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">Hunters Point Naval Shipyard\u003c/a> and a technology-driven future rising in downtown skyscrapers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Abernathy grew up taking in this juxtaposition while walking up the hill from her family home in Bayview; her mom later lived in housing atop the slope.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You can see everything from up here,” Abernathy said. “You can see the Bay Bridge, and when it’s the Fourth of July you can stand up here and see the fireworks.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://huntersview.info/\">Hunters View\u003c/a> was originally built as temporary housing for shipyard workers. Residents there have long had to advocate for themselves at City Hall, most recently as the promise of thousands of new homes in the city’s southeast corner threatens to push them out. And in the decadeslong cleanup of the contaminated shipyard.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://huntersview.info/\">Hunters View\u003c/a> was originally built as temporary housing for shipyard workers. Residents there have long had to advocate for themselves at City Hall, most recently as the promise of thousands of new homes in the city’s southeast corner threatens to push them out. And in the decadeslong cleanup of the contaminated shipyard.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Abernathy hopes whoever wins the District 10 supervisor race in November will be the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">neighborhood’s\u003c/a> voice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Abernathy hopes whoever wins the District 10 supervisor race in November will be the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">neighborhood’s\u003c/a> voice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001940\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidates (from left) Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter, Theo Ellington, and J.R. Eppler participate in a debate at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House in San Francisco on Sept. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001940\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidates (from left) Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter, Theo Ellington, and J.R. Eppler participate in a debate at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House in San Francisco on Sept. 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We need to focus on a supervisor that’s going to stand up for us, because we’re almost one foot in the ground and one foot on the curb,” Abernathy said. “We need the community to have a say-so in [the cleanup]. Build around the community and stop just building around City Hall.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The race to replace Supervisor Shamann Walton comes at a pivotal moment for District 10, a large area on the city’s southeastern edge, as the environmental cleanup of the shipyard continues alongside plans to transform the site into housing, parks and business space. Walton’s replacement will inherit the task of advocating for the neighborhoods most affected by contamination, while also shaping what may become the city’s largest redevelopment projects.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The race to replace Supervisor Shamann Walton comes at a pivotal moment for District 10, a large area on the city’s southeastern edge, as the environmental cleanup of the shipyard continues alongside plans to transform the site into housing, parks and business space. Walton’s replacement will inherit the task of advocating for the neighborhoods most affected by contamination, while also shaping what may become the city’s largest redevelopment projects.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/supervisor-10th-district\">Nine candidates\u003c/a> are vying to represent the sprawling district from Potrero Hill through Bayview to Vistacion Valley. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098461/crypto-ceo-chris-larsen-donates-500000-to-support-political-moderate-in-supervisors-race\">race has caught the attention of the city’s biggest political funders\u003c/a>, like crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, who donated an eye-popping $500,000 to moderate Democrat Theo Ellington’s campaign. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/supervisor-10th-district\">Nine candidates\u003c/a> are vying to represent the sprawling district from Potrero Hill through Bayview to Vistacion Valley. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098461/crypto-ceo-chris-larsen-donates-500000-to-support-political-moderate-in-supervisors-race\">race has caught the attention of the city’s biggest political funders\u003c/a>, like crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, who donated an eye-popping $500,000 to moderate Democrat Theo Ellington’s campaign. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The next supervisor should think about our health, and think about all the people that have been lost to cancer,” Abernathy said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The next supervisor should think about our health, and think about all the people that have been lost to cancer,” Abernathy said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the Cold War, the 866-acre shipyard’s soil and groundwater were contaminated with radioactive chemicals, heavy metals and petroleum fuels from ships brought there after atomic bomb tests. In 1989, the base was declared one of the nation’s most contaminated sites.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the Cold War, the 866-acre shipyard’s soil and groundwater were contaminated with radioactive chemicals, heavy metals and petroleum fuels from ships brought there after atomic bomb tests. In 1989, the base was declared one of the nation’s most contaminated sites.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After the cleanup concludes — potentially in the middle of the next decade — the city plans to allow developers to reinvent the shipyard. When finished, the 693-acre \u003ca href=\"https://sfocii.org/projects/hunters-point-shipyard-candlestick-point-2/overview\">Candlestick Point-Hunters Point Shipyard project\u003c/a> could include more than 10,000 housing units, two new waterfront neighborhoods and more than 340 acres of parks and open space.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After the cleanup concludes — potentially in the middle of the next decade — the city plans to allow developers to reinvent the shipyard. When finished, the 693-acre \u003ca href=\"https://sfocii.org/projects/hunters-point-shipyard-candlestick-point-2/overview\">Candlestick Point-Hunters Point Shipyard project\u003c/a> could include more than 10,000 housing units, two new waterfront neighborhoods and more than 340 acres of parks and open space.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Past city-led health surveys found that cancer “is \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfenvironment.org/sites/default/files/fliers/files/sfe_ej_sfhh_community_health_status_assessment.pdf\">a major cause of years of life lost\u003c/a> in Bayview Hunters Point,” but the city did not look into whether contamination at the shipyard contributed to these health problems\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong> Residents are documenting their health conditions, and a local doctor has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">tested people to catalog who has been exposed\u003c/a> to dangerous chemicals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Past city-led health surveys found that cancer “is \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfenvironment.org/sites/default/files/fliers/files/sfe_ej_sfhh_community_health_status_assessment.pdf\">a major cause of years of life lost\u003c/a> in Bayview Hunters Point,” but the city did not look into whether contamination at the shipyard contributed to these health problems\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong> Residents are documenting their health conditions, and a local doctor has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">tested people to catalog who has been exposed\u003c/a> to dangerous chemicals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rachel Brahinsky, a University of San Francisco professor in urban studies and politics, said the next supervisor will need to actively “shine a light” on how the Superfund site is a “tremendous liability” that should be viewed as a “San Francisco problem.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rachel Brahinsky, a University of San Francisco professor in urban studies and politics, said the next supervisor will need to actively “shine a light” on how the Superfund site is a “tremendous liability” that should be viewed as a “San Francisco problem.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They won’t “be treated as a central protagonist in the future of the city,” Brahinsky said. “They have to insist on it and make themselves and their neighborhood be seen in that way. History shows that that person will be sidelined if they don’t step up.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They won’t “be treated as a central protagonist in the future of the city,” Brahinsky said. “They have to insist on it and make themselves and their neighborhood be seen in that way. History shows that that person will be sidelined if they don’t step up.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Standing on the worn granite steps of City Hall in June, environmental advocates called on city leaders to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088662/toxic-land-protest-targets-sf-housing-plans-at-contaminated-hunters-point-naval-shipyard\">push for a full cleanup\u003c/a> at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Standing on the worn granite steps of City Hall in June, environmental advocates called on city leaders to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088662/toxic-land-protest-targets-sf-housing-plans-at-contaminated-hunters-point-naval-shipyard\">push for a full cleanup\u003c/a> at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The rally followed the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999631/navy-apologizes-for-11-month-delay-in-reporting-radioactive-material-at-hunters-point\">U.S. Navy’\u003c/a>s disclosure this spring that it found a cabinet filled with several hundred radiological items at the shipyard, the latest discovery at the Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The rally followed the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999631/navy-apologizes-for-11-month-delay-in-reporting-radioactive-material-at-hunters-point\">U.S. Navy’\u003c/a>s disclosure this spring that it found a cabinet filled with several hundred radiological items at the shipyard, the latest discovery at the Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two candidates for supervisor took to the microphone: Ellington and Dion-Jay “D.J.” Brookter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001943\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter crushes grapes at Gratta Wines during Sunday Streets in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ellington grew up in Bayview and leads the Ruth Williams Opera House, a performing arts and cultural center located there. He said the fight is personal because he lives with his family within the shipyards’ footprint. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you want to protect the people, then you must protect the land,” Ellington said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brookter is a community advocate and former local nonprofit leader who moved to the neighborhood 16 years ago. He said the city needs to invest in the existing neighborhoods around Bayview, not just focus on building new housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are asking for what every family in San Francisco has the right to: clean land, honest science, a transparent government, and a future where our health is not sacrificed for someone else’s timeline,” Brookter said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Three candidates have \u003ca href=\"https://campaign.sfethics.org/elections/2026-11-03/contests/bos10.html\">raised the most money\u003c/a>, so far — Ellington, Brookter, and J.R. Eppler — and all told KQED the shipyard would be a main focus. However, none explicitly listed it among their top three priorities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ellington ranked housing, economic development and transportation as the most important issues. But decades of stalled and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993505/cleanup-of-san-francisco-superfund-site-has-been-badly-mishandled-lawsuit-alleges\">scandal-plagued cleanup efforts\u003c/a>, he said, have taught residents that “nobody takes anyone’s word” about how the Navy cleans up the site. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As supervisor, Ellington would push for independent testing before land is transferred to developers, greater transparency and community involvement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have to use every rule in the book to push the Navy to do their part, and make sure this development is safe,” Ellington said, adding that he would fight for health screenings, because “exposure records kept today are the evidence families will need tomorrow.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brookter’s top three priorities include: housing stability, economic opportunity and effective government. On the shipyard, he said the “burden is on the government to prove” the land is safe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is a city-wide issue,” Brookter said. “I want to bring my colleagues here to say, look, this is what San Franciscans are facing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brookter said he would fight for an independent review of the cleanup and ensure the community has “meaningful decision-making” in what happens next.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Eppler describes his top three priorities as “building complete, vibrant, and connected neighborhoods.” On the shipyard, he told KQED the community needs more transparency from the Navy and regulatory agencies overseeing the cleanup. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>Navy officials have \u003ca href=\"https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Home/News-Detail/Article/4228126/navy-begins-final-soil-cleanup-at-former-hunters-point-naval-shipyard-warehouse/\">said\u003c/a> they are dedicated to ensuring the site is safe, environmentally sound, and benefits the surrounding community as it moves toward redevelopment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Eppler describes his top three priorities as “building complete, vibrant, and connected neighborhoods.” On the shipyard, he told KQED the community needs more transparency from the Navy and regulatory agencies overseeing the cleanup. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>Navy officials have \u003ca href=\"https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Home/News-Detail/Article/4228126/navy-begins-final-soil-cleanup-at-former-hunters-point-naval-shipyard-warehouse/\">said\u003c/a> they are dedicated to ensuring the site is safe, environmentally sound, and benefits the surrounding community as it moves toward redevelopment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Residents should not be expected to take the Navy, its contractors, or City Hall at their word,” Eppler said. “I would push for every parcel to be cleaned to a residential standard and independently verified before it is transferred, opened to the public, or developed.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Residents should not be expected to take the Navy, its contractors, or City Hall at their word,” Eppler said. “I would push for every parcel to be cleaned to a residential standard and independently verified before it is transferred, opened to the public, or developed.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Eppler said the cleanup should not be rushed. Still, other areas could be redeveloped in the meantime because “District 10 should not have to choose between protecting public health and creating economic opportunity.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The city needs to rediscover the southeast,” Eppler said. “We’ve built the arsenal of democracy at the shipyard. It’s time for us to be on the map of San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The city needs to rediscover the southeast,” Eppler said. “We’ve built the arsenal of democracy at the shipyard. It’s time for us to be on the map of San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gail Hampton lives in senior housing on the hill overlooking the shipyard. She moved to the district more than half a century ago.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The next supervisor needs to pay more attention to the shipyard, period,” Hampton said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tonia Randell, a Bayview environmental advocate and resident, said the next supervisor must understand that the “environment has to be protected” if the neighborhood is going to thrive — especially as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979473/us-navy-acknowledges-toxic-groundwater-rising-in-bayview-hunters-point\">future floodwaters could expose the community\u003c/a> to further harm from the toxic site. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tonia Randell, a Bayview environmental advocate and resident, said the next supervisor must understand that the “environment has to be protected” if the neighborhood is going to thrive — especially as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979473/us-navy-acknowledges-toxic-groundwater-rising-in-bayview-hunters-point\">future floodwaters could expose the community\u003c/a> to further harm from the toxic site. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If someone who’s in that office doesn’t understand that, doesn’t attend the meetings or listen to the experts, then we’re gonna be cooked,” Randell said. “It’s a beautiful place, but it has underlying secrets that are deadly.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Arieann Harrison, executive director of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, said she will miss Walton’s leadership.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He has shown the community that he’s willing to step up and be a part of the actions that we are taking,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“He has shown the community that he’s willing to step up and be a part of the actions that we are taking,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Harrison has helped spearhead a campaign for community oversight, independent testing, cleanup to the highest standards, reparations for impacted residents and long-term monitoring. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She worries development could shift demographics and reduce representation for existing residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001938\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter talks with attendees at Sunday Streets in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001938\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter talks with attendees at Sunday Streets in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We will probably not have any representation moving forward after this election, that is, us — Black or people of color — because of the influx of money,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We will probably not have any representation moving forward after this election, that is, us — Black or people of color — because of the influx of money,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brahinsky, who is writing a book about Bayview environmental leaders, said: “The future is not written yet.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Brahinsky, who is writing a book about Bayview environmental leaders, said: “The future is not written yet.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think there is still an opportunity because people like [Harrison] are pushing on the outcomes at the shipyard,” Brahinsky said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think there is still an opportunity because people like [Harrison] are pushing on the outcomes at the shipyard,” Brahinsky said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brahinsky hopes the district elects someone “who will represent the underdogs” and is “willing to keep pressure on continuously.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sometimes that means someone who’s not worried about what’s next for them politically,” Brahinsky said. “The district is, in some ways, the last industrial heart of San Francisco. In that sense, it’s not forgotten at all and is central to the functioning of the city.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Sometimes that means someone who’s not worried about what’s next for them politically,” Brahinsky said. “The district is, in some ways, the last industrial heart of San Francisco. In that sense, it’s not forgotten at all and is central to the functioning of the city.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Bayview residents want San Francisco’s next District 10 supervisor to keep pressure on the Hunters Point cleanup.",
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"title": "San Francisco’s Next District 10 Supervisor Will Inherit a Toxic Legacy | KQED",
"description": "Bayview residents want San Francisco’s next District 10 supervisor to keep pressure on the Hunters Point cleanup.",
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"headline": "San Francisco’s Next District 10 Supervisor Will Inherit a Toxic Legacy",
"datePublished": "2026-10-08T08:00:00-07:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>From the Hunters View housing project, San Francisco resident Joanne Abernathy can look out on two versions of the city: the radioactive, industrial legacy of the city’s past at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">Hunters Point Naval Shipyard\u003c/a> and a technology-driven future rising in downtown skyscrapers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Abernathy grew up taking in this juxtaposition while walking up the hill from her family home in Bayview; her mom later lived in housing atop the slope.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can see everything from up here,” Abernathy said. “You can see the Bay Bridge, and when it’s the Fourth of July you can stand up here and see the fireworks.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://huntersview.info/\">Hunters View\u003c/a> was originally built as temporary housing for shipyard workers. Residents there have long had to advocate for themselves at City Hall, most recently as the promise of thousands of new homes in the city’s southeast corner threatens to push them out. And in the decadeslong cleanup of the contaminated shipyard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Abernathy hopes whoever wins the District 10 supervisor race in November will be the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">neighborhood’s\u003c/a> voice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001940\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260901-D10Climate-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidates (from left) Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter, Theo Ellington, and J.R. Eppler participate in a debate at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House in San Francisco on Sept. 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need to focus on a supervisor that’s going to stand up for us, because we’re almost one foot in the ground and one foot on the curb,” Abernathy said. “We need the community to have a say-so in [the cleanup]. Build around the community and stop just building around City Hall.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The race to replace Supervisor Shamann Walton comes at a pivotal moment for District 10, a large area on the city’s southeastern edge, as the environmental cleanup of the shipyard continues alongside plans to transform the site into housing, parks and business space. Walton’s replacement will inherit the task of advocating for the neighborhoods most affected by contamination, while also shaping what may become the city’s largest redevelopment projects.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/sanfrancisco/supervisor-10th-district\">Nine candidates\u003c/a> are vying to represent the sprawling district from Potrero Hill through Bayview to Vistacion Valley. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12098461/crypto-ceo-chris-larsen-donates-500000-to-support-political-moderate-in-supervisors-race\">race has caught the attention of the city’s biggest political funders\u003c/a>, like crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, who donated an eye-popping $500,000 to moderate Democrat Theo Ellington’s campaign. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The next supervisor should think about our health, and think about all the people that have been lost to cancer,” Abernathy said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the Cold War, the 866-acre shipyard’s soil and groundwater were contaminated with radioactive chemicals, heavy metals and petroleum fuels from ships brought there after atomic bomb tests. In 1989, the base was declared one of the nation’s most contaminated sites.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After the cleanup concludes — potentially in the middle of the next decade — the city plans to allow developers to reinvent the shipyard. When finished, the 693-acre \u003ca href=\"https://sfocii.org/projects/hunters-point-shipyard-candlestick-point-2/overview\">Candlestick Point-Hunters Point Shipyard project\u003c/a> could include more than 10,000 housing units, two new waterfront neighborhoods and more than 340 acres of parks and open space.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Past city-led health surveys found that cancer “is \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfenvironment.org/sites/default/files/fliers/files/sfe_ej_sfhh_community_health_status_assessment.pdf\">a major cause of years of life lost\u003c/a> in Bayview Hunters Point,” but the city did not look into whether contamination at the shipyard contributed to these health problems\u003cstrong>.\u003c/strong> Residents are documenting their health conditions, and a local doctor has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1979614/for-these-black-bayview-hunters-point-residents-reparations-include-safeguarding-against-rising-toxic-contamination\">tested people to catalog who has been exposed\u003c/a> to dangerous chemicals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rachel Brahinsky, a University of San Francisco professor in urban studies and politics, said the next supervisor will need to actively “shine a light” on how the Superfund site is a “tremendous liability” that should be viewed as a “San Francisco problem.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They won’t “be treated as a central protagonist in the future of the city,” Brahinsky said. “They have to insist on it and make themselves and their neighborhood be seen in that way. History shows that that person will be sidelined if they don’t step up.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘This is a city-wide issue’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Standing on the worn granite steps of City Hall in June, environmental advocates called on city leaders to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088662/toxic-land-protest-targets-sf-housing-plans-at-contaminated-hunters-point-naval-shipyard\">push for a full cleanup\u003c/a> at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The rally followed the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999631/navy-apologizes-for-11-month-delay-in-reporting-radioactive-material-at-hunters-point\">U.S. Navy’\u003c/a>s disclosure this spring that it found a cabinet filled with several hundred radiological items at the shipyard, the latest discovery at the Superfund site.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two candidates for supervisor took to the microphone: Ellington and Dion-Jay “D.J.” Brookter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001943\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter crushes grapes at Gratta Wines during Sunday Streets in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Ellington grew up in Bayview and leads the Ruth Williams Opera House, a performing arts and cultural center located there. He said the fight is personal because he lives with his family within the shipyards’ footprint. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you want to protect the people, then you must protect the land,” Ellington said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brookter is a community advocate and former local nonprofit leader who moved to the neighborhood 16 years ago. He said the city needs to invest in the existing neighborhoods around Bayview, not just focus on building new housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are asking for what every family in San Francisco has the right to: clean land, honest science, a transparent government, and a future where our health is not sacrificed for someone else’s timeline,” Brookter said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three candidates have \u003ca href=\"https://campaign.sfethics.org/elections/2026-11-03/contests/bos10.html\">raised the most money\u003c/a>, so far — Ellington, Brookter, and J.R. Eppler — and all told KQED the shipyard would be a main focus. However, none explicitly listed it among their top three priorities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001939\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001939\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate J.R. Eppler talks with attendees at Sunday Streets in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001936\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001936\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-15-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Theo Ellington speaks with Sandra O’Neil at Punkin’s 1 Stop Beauty Bar while campaigning in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ellington ranked housing, economic development and transportation as the most important issues. But decades of stalled and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1993505/cleanup-of-san-francisco-superfund-site-has-been-badly-mishandled-lawsuit-alleges\">scandal-plagued cleanup efforts\u003c/a>, he said, have taught residents that “nobody takes anyone’s word” about how the Navy cleans up the site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As supervisor, Ellington would push for independent testing before land is transferred to developers, greater transparency and community involvement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to use every rule in the book to push the Navy to do their part, and make sure this development is safe,” Ellington said, adding that he would fight for health screenings, because “exposure records kept today are the evidence families will need tomorrow.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brookter’s top three priorities include: housing stability, economic opportunity and effective government. On the shipyard, he said the “burden is on the government to prove” the land is safe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is a city-wide issue,” Brookter said. “I want to bring my colleagues here to say, look, this is what San Franciscans are facing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brookter said he would fight for an independent review of the cleanup and ensure the community has “meaningful decision-making” in what happens next.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eppler describes his top three priorities as “building complete, vibrant, and connected neighborhoods.” On the shipyard, he told KQED the community needs more transparency from the Navy and regulatory agencies overseeing the cleanup. \u003cbr>\u003cbr>Navy officials have \u003ca href=\"https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Home/News-Detail/Article/4228126/navy-begins-final-soil-cleanup-at-former-hunters-point-naval-shipyard-warehouse/\">said\u003c/a> they are dedicated to ensuring the site is safe, environmentally sound, and benefits the surrounding community as it moves toward redevelopment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Residents should not be expected to take the Navy, its contractors, or City Hall at their word,” Eppler said. “I would push for every parcel to be cleaned to a residential standard and independently verified before it is transferred, opened to the public, or developed.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eppler said the cleanup should not be rushed. Still, other areas could be redeveloped in the meantime because “District 10 should not have to choose between protecting public health and creating economic opportunity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The city needs to rediscover the southeast,” Eppler said. “We’ve built the arsenal of democracy at the shipyard. It’s time for us to be on the map of San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The district is ‘not forgotten’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gail Hampton lives in senior housing on the hill overlooking the shipyard. She moved to the district more than half a century ago.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The next supervisor needs to pay more attention to the shipyard, period,” Hampton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tonia Randell, a Bayview environmental advocate and resident, said the next supervisor must understand that the “environment has to be protected” if the neighborhood is going to thrive — especially as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979473/us-navy-acknowledges-toxic-groundwater-rising-in-bayview-hunters-point\">future floodwaters could expose the community\u003c/a> to further harm from the toxic site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001945\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260821-D10Climate-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Theo Ellington campaigns in the Bayview in San Francisco on Aug. 21, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“If someone who’s in that office doesn’t understand that, doesn’t attend the meetings or listen to the experts, then we’re gonna be cooked,” Randell said. “It’s a beautiful place, but it has underlying secrets that are deadly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arieann Harrison, executive director of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, said she will miss Walton’s leadership.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He has shown the community that he’s willing to step up and be a part of the actions that we are taking,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harrison has helped spearhead a campaign for community oversight, independent testing, cleanup to the highest standards, reparations for impacted residents and long-term monitoring. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She worries development could shift demographics and reduce representation for existing residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001938\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260823-D10Climate-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">District 10 supervisor candidate Dion-Jay “DJ” Brookter talks with attendees at Sunday Streets in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco on Aug. 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“We will probably not have any representation moving forward after this election, that is, us — Black or people of color — because of the influx of money,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brahinsky, who is writing a book about Bayview environmental leaders, said: “The future is not written yet.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think there is still an opportunity because people like [Harrison] are pushing on the outcomes at the shipyard,” Brahinsky said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brahinsky hopes the district elects someone “who will represent the underdogs” and is “willing to keep pressure on continuously.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sometimes that means someone who’s not worried about what’s next for them politically,” Brahinsky said. “The district is, in some ways, the last industrial heart of San Francisco. In that sense, it’s not forgotten at all and is central to the functioning of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "heres-what-all-electric-bay-area-restaurants-have-learned-from-ditching-gas",
"title": "Here’s What All-Electric Bay Area Restaurants Have Learned From Ditching Gas",
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"headTitle": "Here’s What All-Electric Bay Area Restaurants Have Learned From Ditching Gas | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://next.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the highly partisan debate over which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> restaurant makes the best pizza, Thomas McNaughton admitted his choice to use an electric oven is controversial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For years, the CEO of Flour + Water Hospitality Group — a collection of six Bay Area restaurants and a food brand — couldn’t fathom an electric oven that produced the high heat critical for its award-winning pizza. Most pizza joints use gas or wood-fired ovens instead.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that changed after he discovered professional electric pizza ovens around six years ago and fell in love with how they performed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ If you’re talking deck ovens, the electric models now outperform gas ovens 100%,” McNaughton said. “I didn’t realize how evolved the technology really is. They’re incredibly powerful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the helm of a restaurant group that holds environmental sustainability as one of its core values, McNaughton realized Flour + Water could have an even greater impact if he switched the power source in their restaurants and kitchens from gas to electric. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001590\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An employee prepares a pizza before placing it in an all-electric oven at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001594\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001594\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A deep fryer at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An employee places a pizza into an all-electric oven at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ If this oven is so powerful, couldn’t we build our entire operation around electricity?” McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Flour + Water’s Oakland location, which opened Jan. 2026, is a testament to that vision. There, everything from the boozy slushie machine to the deep fryer, induction cooktops and pizza ovens — which churn out hundreds of pies a day — are 100% electric. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three years ago, the company committed to all-electric power in all of its future buildouts, McNaughton said, including a planned pizza shop in Palo Alto and a dough production space in Oakland. Two of Flour + Water’s restaurants are now gas-less, and its flagship location in San Francisco’s pizza-dense North Beach neighborhood is mostly electric.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s much easier than people think, and I think there will be a point where it’s not an option,” McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001592\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thomas McNaughton, co-executive chef and CEO at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. The Oakland location uses all-electric appliances in its kitchen. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Chefs like McNaughton are part of a Bay Area culinary movement proving that all-electric restaurants are not only financially viable, but able to produce the same quality food — or even better — as their fossil-fueled peers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, these chefs are cutting against the grain in California, where restaurants still rely heavily on gas and industry groups have resisted the switch to electric cooking in the past, most notably by defeating Berkeley’s first-in-the-nation ban on natural gas hookups in new construction.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The switch to electric appliances — which are less polluting, safer and cleaner — continues to be hampered by transition costs and misconceptions about inferiority.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ We’re truly not giving up a single thing,” McNaughton said. “In fact, we’re enhancing what we believe we’re doing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘A gas-heavy state’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite California’s goals to fight climate change, including achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1279\">2045\u003c/a>, it’s a “gas-heavy state,” according to Rob Jackson, an environmental scientist at Stanford University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, 85% of restaurants use gas to power their appliances, Jackson said, higher than the \u003ca href=\"https://restaurant.org/nra/media/downloads/pdfs/advocacy/2022/banning-natural-gas-at-the-local-level.pdf\">national average\u003c/a> of 76%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rob Jackson, environmental scientist at Stanford University, poses for a portrait in the Jackson Lab in Stanford on Aug. 27, 2026. Jackson and his team examine how humans affect the Earth through global warming. He chairs the Global Carbon Project, which is working to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“ If we’re to reach our climate goals, eventually that has to stop,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Buildings account for nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the state, and restaurants require more energy to run than other commercial buildings, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Natural gas is mainly composed of methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent, but shorter-lasting, than carbon dioxide. Transitioning from natural gas to electric appliances is the best way for restaurants to reduce their environmental and carbon footprints, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001895\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds an air pump to her ear to ensure air is pumping to the Aeris analyzer, which measures greenhouse gases in the air, at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001896\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001896\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Jackson Lab at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. The Jackson Lab examines how people affect the Earth and works on projects, including greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001892\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001892\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, a staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds a thermocouple logger that measures the temperature on ovens at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Utilities in the state are under a mandate from lawmakers to source 100% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2045. The state is more than halfway to that goal, having sourced 67% of its energy from renewables in 2024. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But more emphasis needs to be put on decarbonizing the demand for energy in the state, said Brady Seals, director of electrification for health at Stanford’s Center for Human and Planetary Health. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ If we’re not addressing the demand side, we’re going to be building buildings that are going to be using [natural gas] for the next thirty to fifty years,” Seals said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A healthier, more efficient kitchen\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Emissions released by burning natural gas may also enter the human body, posing serious health risks. Gas cooking exposes restaurant workers — and homeowners alike — to harmful gases such as methane, benzene and nitrogen dioxide, which leak from stoves whether on or off, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Exposure to nitrogen dioxide from gas and propane stoves may be responsible for up to 19,000 deaths annually in the United States, roughly 40% of the deaths attributable to secondhand smoke, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adm8680\">2024 study\u003c/a> which Jackson led.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You would never stand over the tailpipe of your car breathing in those pollutants, and yet people stand over the stove breathing the same pollutants day after day, meal after meal,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001890\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED-768x521.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED-1536x1043.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aeris analyzers, which measure methane, ethane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, in the air rest at the Jackson Lab at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>He called commercial kitchens “amplifiers” of that pollution. Instead of using a single stove, like in a home, professional cooks may work at a 12-burner stove for hours, increasing their exposure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ We know the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful, and there’s no reason to do that when cleaner, better technologies are available,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chefs have reported other benefits from switching to induction cooktops, a type of electric stove which uses electromagnetic energy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops are more efficient than gas ones because they heat pots and pans directly, instead of a gas cooktop, where an open flame heats the air around cookware, indirectly warming it, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ When people say ‘electric kitchen,’ they think about your average apartment stove with a little coil on it, and they’re like, ‘You expect me to run a restaurant on that?’ But that’s not what it is at all,” said Ava Agopsowicz, a line cook at Flour + Water’s Oakland location. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Working at an induction cooktop feels “less greasy,” Agopsowicz said, adding that the kitchen also doesn’t get as hot as cooking with an open flame.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Induction cooktops give chefs what McNaughton described as an “insane” amount of temperature control.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You will never have a pot of cream boil over because they’re just so exact, which is really, really great,” McNaughton said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops also drastically reduce the time restaurant workers spend cleaning their workstations, because they eliminate the soot and heat buildup characteristic of gas grills, said Jilly Middleton, program lead on chefs and cooktops for the Global Cooksafe Coalition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ With induction it’s literally a 20-second wipe down, and you can have apprentices do it safely because it cools down as soon as you turn the heat off,” Middleton said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Switching from gas to induction also reduces the risk of kitchen workplace hazards such as burns, fires and explosions, Middleton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jairo Pérez prepares food at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Katie Chin, a Southern California-based “chefluencer” for the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a group that works to eliminate fossil fuels in buildings, said she was thankful to find an induction kitchen at a client’s house once working as a caterer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she was late to the gig and needed to boil a lot of water in a hurry for a 200-person event.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ Luckily that client had induction, so I was able to boil the water for six hundred dumplings in a fraction of the time it would’ve taken for me to use a gas stove and heat up all that water,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But while the advantages are many, the barriers are still significant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s not sugarcoat it. It’s not easy to electrify when you already have gas,” Seals said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Change is hard — and expensive \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges for Flour + Water to realize its all-electric dreams has been finding spaces that can be upgraded to provide the massive amount of energy needed to power their electric ovens, McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A lot of older properties we’re not able to look at, so that can feel somewhat constricting at times,” McNaughton said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whereas many commercial spaces come with gas lines sufficient for restaurant service already installed, McNaughton said setting up the electric service at their Oakland location was a challenge, as it required contractors to “push incredibly thick conduit through many different 90-degree turns,” a step that wouldn’t have been necessary if they opted to use gas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001898\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brady Seals, Director of Electrification for Health, Human and Planetary Health, poses for a portrait at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A lot of the cost of converting to all-electric isn’t the appliances themselves; “it’s really the whole electrical system to support it,” Seals said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s highest-in-the-continental-U.S. electricity rates are also a consideration. Flour + Water’s Oakland location spends around $8,000 a month on electricity, according to a utility bill shared with KQED. Flour + Water’s most recent electric bill saw usage about 34 times greater than the average home in California uses in a month, according to the latest \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/sales_revenue_price/pdf/table_5A.pdf\">data\u003c/a> from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ The rule of thumb for us is that it’s a small increase to purchase this equipment, and slightly more to run it on a monthly basis,” McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chefluencers like Chin are also working hard to dispel stereotypes about induction cooking, namely, that it doesn’t get hot enough to appropriately use culturally specific cooking techniques, like Asian Wok cooking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ You just have to keep an open mind that Asian cooking isn’t synonymous with the blue flame,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001591\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An employee walks through a kitchen with all-electric appliances at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>On the contrary, induction wok burners get “super hot, so quickly,” and have actually improved her cooking due to induction’s superior temperature control, Chin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And I’m not so cranky because it’s cooler in my kitchen,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Learning to cook on induction does require some technique changes, “but we’re hearing that line cooks are picking it up in a matter of weeks, not months,” Middleton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When cooks try induction cookware, they’re often surprised and don’t want to go back,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The idea that induction cooktops could replace gas ones has been challenged by restaurant industry trade groups, such as the California Restaurant Association, which has argued induction cooking is inadequate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group did not respond to an interview request, but Jot Condie, the Association’s president and CEO, has previously \u003ca href=\"https://www.calrest.org/news/california-restaurant-association-continues-fight-against-ban-natural-gas-infrastructure\">said\u003c/a> that the loss of flame cooking “would dramatically impact restaurant kitchens” and that chefs rely on gas stoves to “grill vegetables, sear meats and create meals of all kinds inspired by cuisines from all over the world.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building momentum \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city of Berkeley led the charge to incentivize building electrification in 2019 when it passed a first-in-the-nation ban on natural gas hookups in new construction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ The essential point of the bill was to say, if you’re building something new, then you would be putting in all-electric,” said Kate Harrison, a former Berkeley City Council member who spearheaded the ban. “We don’t want to expand the gas network.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Berkeley was ultimately forced to repeal the ban after a federal court sided with a lawsuit brought by the California Restaurant Association, which argued the city overstepped its authority and violated federal energy law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001891\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds an eye button that measures the temperature on stoves and wall heaters, at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, other municipalities are moving forward with all-electric mandates of their own. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2024-09/energy-commission-adopts-updated-building-standards-expanding-requirements-heat\">established\u003c/a> electric-ready infrastructure requirements for some newly constructed commercial kitchens in 2024, mandating that buildings be constructed with the wiring and circuits necessary to replace gas infrastructure. New York City has also successfully \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/us-cities-seeking-to-ban-natural-gas-in-new-buildings-just-got-a-big-win-in-court/\">defended\u003c/a> its own ban on natural gas in new buildings against legal challenges brought by plumbing and building trade groups. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As support for going all-electric builds, Harrison said she sees Berkeley’s original ban as a “proof of concept.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s inevitable. This is where we’re going,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electric-ready mandates in new construction are good policy if California is to meet its climate goals, Seals said. But retrofits — redesigning existing spaces to use electricity instead of gas — are “the hardest nut to crack,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002113\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An employee places a pizza into an all-electric oven at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. The Oakland location uses all-electric appliances, including its pizza ovens. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“ Policymakers have a real role to play for spurring this market, and that’s going to be happening in places like building codes and other kinds of rulemaking,” Seals said. “ This is a sleeper issue that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention until recently, and we’re really in the beginning part of this wave, which I find to be very exciting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Chin, encouraging electrification also means education tailored towards specific ethnic groups and overcoming language barriers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ I do feel like a lot of the Asian restaurant owners may not have access to learning about induction cooking,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Induction advocates said the future is all-electric. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ The Great British Bake Off is induction. Some of the top restaurants in the world are induction,” Seals said. “The momentum in the market is pushing toward renewable energy and electrification.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Flour + Water’s McNaughton isn’t looking back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve never said, ‘Oh man, I really wish we had a six-burner all-gas range,’” he said. “I don’t miss it at all.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://next.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the highly partisan debate over which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> restaurant makes the best pizza, Thomas McNaughton admitted his choice to use an electric oven is controversial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For years, the CEO of Flour + Water Hospitality Group — a collection of six Bay Area restaurants and a food brand — couldn’t fathom an electric oven that produced the high heat critical for its award-winning pizza. Most pizza joints use gas or wood-fired ovens instead.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For years, the CEO of Flour + Water Hospitality Group — a collection of six Bay Area restaurants and a food brand — couldn’t fathom an electric oven that produced the high heat critical for its award-winning pizza. Most pizza joints use gas or wood-fired ovens instead.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But that changed after he discovered professional electric pizza ovens around six years ago and fell in love with how they performed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ If you’re talking deck ovens, the electric models now outperform gas ovens 100%,” McNaughton said. “I didn’t realize how evolved the technology really is. They’re incredibly powerful.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ If you’re talking deck ovens, the electric models now outperform gas ovens 100%,” McNaughton said. “I didn’t realize how evolved the technology really is. They’re incredibly powerful.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the helm of a restaurant group that holds environmental sustainability as one of its core values, McNaughton realized Flour + Water could have an even greater impact if he switched the power source in their restaurants and kitchens from gas to electric. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001594\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A deep fryer at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ If this oven is so powerful, couldn’t we build our entire operation around electricity?” McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Flour + Water’s Oakland location, which opened Jan. 2026, is a testament to that vision. There, everything from the boozy slushie machine to the deep fryer, induction cooktops and pizza ovens — which churn out hundreds of pies a day — are 100% electric. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Three years ago, the company committed to all-electric power in all of its future buildouts, McNaughton said, including a planned pizza shop in Palo Alto and a dough production space in Oakland. Two of Flour + Water’s restaurants are now gas-less, and its flagship location in San Francisco’s pizza-dense North Beach neighborhood is mostly electric.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Three years ago, the company committed to all-electric power in all of its future buildouts, McNaughton said, including a planned pizza shop in Palo Alto and a dough production space in Oakland. Two of Flour + Water’s restaurants are now gas-less, and its flagship location in San Francisco’s pizza-dense North Beach neighborhood is mostly electric.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s much easier than people think, and I think there will be a point where it’s not an option,” McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001592\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thomas McNaughton, co-executive chef and CEO at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. The Oakland location uses all-electric appliances in its kitchen.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chefs like McNaughton are part of a Bay Area culinary movement proving that all-electric restaurants are not only financially viable, but able to produce the same quality food — or even better — as their fossil-fueled peers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, these chefs are cutting against the grain in California, where restaurants still rely heavily on gas and industry groups have resisted the switch to electric cooking in the past, most notably by defeating Berkeley’s first-in-the-nation ban on natural gas hookups in new construction.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The switch to electric appliances — which are less polluting, safer and cleaner — continues to be hampered by transition costs and misconceptions about inferiority.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ We’re truly not giving up a single thing,” McNaughton said. “In fact, we’re enhancing what we believe we’re doing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "‘A gas-heavy state’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite California’s goals to fight climate change, including achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1279\">2045\u003c/a>, it’s a “gas-heavy state,” according to Rob Jackson, an environmental scientist at Stanford University. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In California, 85% of restaurants use gas to power their appliances, Jackson said, higher than the \u003ca href=\"https://restaurant.org/nra/media/downloads/pdfs/advocacy/2022/banning-natural-gas-at-the-local-level.pdf\">national average\u003c/a> of 76%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rob Jackson, environmental scientist at Stanford University, poses for a portrait in the Jackson Lab in Stanford on Aug. 27, 2026. Jackson and his team examine how humans affect the Earth through global warming. He chairs the Global Carbon Project, which is working to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001894\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rob Jackson, environmental scientist at Stanford University, poses for a portrait in the Jackson Lab in Stanford on Aug. 27, 2026. Jackson and his team examine how humans affect the Earth through global warming. He chairs the Global Carbon Project, which is working to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ If we’re to reach our climate goals, eventually that has to stop,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Buildings account for nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the state, and restaurants require more energy to run than other commercial buildings, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Natural gas is mainly composed of methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent, but shorter-lasting, than carbon dioxide. Transitioning from natural gas to electric appliances is the best way for restaurants to reduce their environmental and carbon footprints, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Natural gas is mainly composed of methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent, but shorter-lasting, than carbon dioxide. Transitioning from natural gas to electric appliances is the best way for restaurants to reduce their environmental and carbon footprints, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001895\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds an air pump to her ear to ensure air is pumping to the Aeris analyzer, which measures greenhouse gases in the air, at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001892\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, a staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds a thermocouple logger that measures the temperature on ovens at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Utilities in the state are under a mandate from lawmakers to source 100% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2045. The state is more than halfway to that goal, having sourced 67% of its energy from renewables in 2024. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But more emphasis needs to be put on decarbonizing the demand for energy in the state, said Brady Seals, director of electrification for health at Stanford’s Center for Human and Planetary Health. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ If we’re not addressing the demand side, we’re going to be building buildings that are going to be using [natural gas] for the next thirty to fifty years,” Seals said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Emissions released by burning natural gas may also enter the human body, posing serious health risks. Gas cooking exposes restaurant workers — and homeowners alike — to harmful gases such as methane, benzene and nitrogen dioxide, which leak from stoves whether on or off, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Emissions released by burning natural gas may also enter the human body, posing serious health risks. Gas cooking exposes restaurant workers — and homeowners alike — to harmful gases such as methane, benzene and nitrogen dioxide, which leak from stoves whether on or off, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Exposure to nitrogen dioxide from gas and propane stoves may be responsible for up to 19,000 deaths annually in the United States, roughly 40% of the deaths attributable to secondhand smoke, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adm8680\">2024 study\u003c/a> which Jackson led.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Exposure to nitrogen dioxide from gas and propane stoves may be responsible for up to 19,000 deaths annually in the United States, roughly 40% of the deaths attributable to secondhand smoke, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adm8680\">2024 study\u003c/a> which Jackson led.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You would never stand over the tailpipe of your car breathing in those pollutants, and yet people stand over the stove breathing the same pollutants day after day, meal after meal,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001890\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED-768x521.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED-1536x1043.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aeris analyzers, which measure methane, ethane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, in the air rest at the Jackson Lab at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001890\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aeris analyzers, which measure methane, ethane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, in the air rest at the Jackson Lab at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He called commercial kitchens “amplifiers” of that pollution. Instead of using a single stove, like in a home, professional cooks may work at a 12-burner stove for hours, increasing their exposure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He called commercial kitchens “amplifiers” of that pollution. Instead of using a single stove, like in a home, professional cooks may work at a 12-burner stove for hours, increasing their exposure. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ We know the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful, and there’s no reason to do that when cleaner, better technologies are available,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chefs have reported other benefits from switching to induction cooktops, a type of electric stove which uses electromagnetic energy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops are more efficient than gas ones because they heat pots and pans directly, instead of a gas cooktop, where an open flame heats the air around cookware, indirectly warming it, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops are more efficient than gas ones because they heat pots and pans directly, instead of a gas cooktop, where an open flame heats the air around cookware, indirectly warming it, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ When people say ‘electric kitchen,’ they think about your average apartment stove with a little coil on it, and they’re like, ‘You expect me to run a restaurant on that?’ But that’s not what it is at all,” said Ava Agopsowicz, a line cook at Flour + Water’s Oakland location. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“ When people say ‘electric kitchen,’ they think about your average apartment stove with a little coil on it, and they’re like, ‘You expect me to run a restaurant on that?’ But that’s not what it is at all,” said Ava Agopsowicz, a line cook at Flour + Water’s Oakland location. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Working at an induction cooktop feels “less greasy,” Agopsowicz said, adding that the kitchen also doesn’t get as hot as cooking with an open flame.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Induction cooktops give chefs what McNaughton described as an “insane” amount of temperature control.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Working at an induction cooktop feels “less greasy,” Agopsowicz said, adding that the kitchen also doesn’t get as hot as cooking with an open flame.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Induction cooktops give chefs what McNaughton described as an “insane” amount of temperature control.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You will never have a pot of cream boil over because they’re just so exact, which is really, really great,” McNaughton said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You will never have a pot of cream boil over because they’re just so exact, which is really, really great,” McNaughton said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops also drastically reduce the time restaurant workers spend cleaning their workstations, because they eliminate the soot and heat buildup characteristic of gas grills, said Jilly Middleton, program lead on chefs and cooktops for the Global Cooksafe Coalition.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops also drastically reduce the time restaurant workers spend cleaning their workstations, because they eliminate the soot and heat buildup characteristic of gas grills, said Jilly Middleton, program lead on chefs and cooktops for the Global Cooksafe Coalition.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ With induction it’s literally a 20-second wipe down, and you can have apprentices do it safely because it cools down as soon as you turn the heat off,” Middleton said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Switching from gas to induction also reduces the risk of kitchen workplace hazards such as burns, fires and explosions, Middleton said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Switching from gas to induction also reduces the risk of kitchen workplace hazards such as burns, fires and explosions, Middleton said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jairo Pérez prepares food at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Katie Chin, a Southern California-based “chefluencer” for the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a group that works to eliminate fossil fuels in buildings, said she was thankful to find an induction kitchen at a client’s house once working as a caterer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Katie Chin, a Southern California-based “chefluencer” for the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a group that works to eliminate fossil fuels in buildings, said she was thankful to find an induction kitchen at a client’s house once working as a caterer. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said she was late to the gig and needed to boil a lot of water in a hurry for a 200-person event.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ Luckily that client had induction, so I was able to boil the water for six hundred dumplings in a fraction of the time it would’ve taken for me to use a gas stove and heat up all that water,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Let’s not sugarcoat it. It’s not easy to electrify when you already have gas,” Seals said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges for Flour + Water to realize its all-electric dreams has been finding spaces that can be upgraded to provide the massive amount of energy needed to power their electric ovens, McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges for Flour + Water to realize its all-electric dreams has been finding spaces that can be upgraded to provide the massive amount of energy needed to power their electric ovens, McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“A lot of older properties we’re not able to look at, so that can feel somewhat constricting at times,” McNaughton said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whereas many commercial spaces come with gas lines sufficient for restaurant service already installed, McNaughton said setting up the electric service at their Oakland location was a challenge, as it required contractors to “push incredibly thick conduit through many different 90-degree turns,” a step that wouldn’t have been necessary if they opted to use gas. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Whereas many commercial spaces come with gas lines sufficient for restaurant service already installed, McNaughton said setting up the electric service at their Oakland location was a challenge, as it required contractors to “push incredibly thick conduit through many different 90-degree turns,” a step that wouldn’t have been necessary if they opted to use gas. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001898\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brady Seals, Director of Electrification for Health, Human and Planetary Health, poses for a portrait at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A lot of the cost of converting to all-electric isn’t the appliances themselves; “it’s really the whole electrical system to support it,” Seals said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s highest-in-the-continental-U.S. electricity rates are also a consideration. Flour + Water’s Oakland location spends around $8,000 a month on electricity, according to a utility bill shared with KQED. Flour + Water’s most recent electric bill saw usage about 34 times greater than the average home in California uses in a month, according to the latest \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/sales_revenue_price/pdf/table_5A.pdf\">data\u003c/a> from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s highest-in-the-continental-U.S. electricity rates are also a consideration. Flour + Water’s Oakland location spends around $8,000 a month on electricity, according to a utility bill shared with KQED. Flour + Water’s most recent electric bill saw usage about 34 times greater than the average home in California uses in a month, according to the latest \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/sales_revenue_price/pdf/table_5A.pdf\">data\u003c/a> from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ The rule of thumb for us is that it’s a small increase to purchase this equipment, and slightly more to run it on a monthly basis,” McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chefluencers like Chin are also working hard to dispel stereotypes about induction cooking, namely, that it doesn’t get hot enough to appropriately use culturally specific cooking techniques, like Asian Wok cooking. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001591\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An employee walks through a kitchen with all-electric appliances at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the contrary, induction wok burners get “super hot, so quickly,” and have actually improved her cooking due to induction’s superior temperature control, Chin said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And I’m not so cranky because it’s cooler in my kitchen,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Learning to cook on induction does require some technique changes, “but we’re hearing that line cooks are picking it up in a matter of weeks, not months,” Middleton said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When cooks try induction cookware, they’re often surprised and don’t want to go back,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The idea that induction cooktops could replace gas ones has been challenged by restaurant industry trade groups, such as the California Restaurant Association, which has argued induction cooking is inadequate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The group did not respond to an interview request, but Jot Condie, the Association’s president and CEO, has previously \u003ca href=\"https://www.calrest.org/news/california-restaurant-association-continues-fight-against-ban-natural-gas-infrastructure\">said\u003c/a> that the loss of flame cooking “would dramatically impact restaurant kitchens” and that chefs rely on gas stoves to “grill vegetables, sear meats and create meals of all kinds inspired by cuisines from all over the world.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city of Berkeley led the charge to incentivize building electrification in 2019 when it passed a first-in-the-nation ban on natural gas hookups in new construction.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ The essential point of the bill was to say, if you’re building something new, then you would be putting in all-electric,” said Kate Harrison, a former Berkeley City Council member who spearheaded the ban. “We don’t want to expand the gas network.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Berkeley was ultimately forced to repeal the ban after a federal court sided with a lawsuit brought by the California Restaurant Association, which argued the city overstepped its authority and violated federal energy law.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001891\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds an eye button that measures the temperature on stoves and wall heaters, at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, other municipalities are moving forward with all-electric mandates of their own. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2024-09/energy-commission-adopts-updated-building-standards-expanding-requirements-heat\">established\u003c/a> electric-ready infrastructure requirements for some newly constructed commercial kitchens in 2024, mandating that buildings be constructed with the wiring and circuits necessary to replace gas infrastructure. New York City has also successfully \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/us-cities-seeking-to-ban-natural-gas-in-new-buildings-just-got-a-big-win-in-court/\">defended\u003c/a> its own ban on natural gas in new buildings against legal challenges brought by plumbing and building trade groups. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2024-09/energy-commission-adopts-updated-building-standards-expanding-requirements-heat\">established\u003c/a> electric-ready infrastructure requirements for some newly constructed commercial kitchens in 2024, mandating that buildings be constructed with the wiring and circuits necessary to replace gas infrastructure. New York City has also successfully \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/us-cities-seeking-to-ban-natural-gas-in-new-buildings-just-got-a-big-win-in-court/\">defended\u003c/a> its own ban on natural gas in new buildings against legal challenges brought by plumbing and building trade groups. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As support for going all-electric builds, Harrison said she sees Berkeley’s original ban as a “proof of concept.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s inevitable. This is where we’re going,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Electric-ready mandates in new construction are good policy if California is to meet its climate goals, Seals said. But retrofits — redesigning existing spaces to use electricity instead of gas — are “the hardest nut to crack,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ Policymakers have a real role to play for spurring this market, and that’s going to be happening in places like building codes and other kinds of rulemaking,” Seals said. “ This is a sleeper issue that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention until recently, and we’re really in the beginning part of this wave, which I find to be very exciting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Chin, encouraging electrification also means education tailored towards specific ethnic groups and overcoming language barriers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ I do feel like a lot of the Asian restaurant owners may not have access to learning about induction cooking,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ The Great British Bake Off is induction. Some of the top restaurants in the world are induction,” Seals said. “The momentum in the market is pushing toward renewable energy and electrification.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Flour + Water’s McNaughton isn’t looking back.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve never said, ‘Oh man, I really wish we had a six-burner all-gas range,’” he said. “I don’t miss it at all.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Electric kitchen conversions are expensive, but as California weans itself off fossil fuels, these chefs say it’s good for food quality, climate and health. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://next.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\">Flipping the Switch\u003c/a>, KQED’s series about California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? And how much does it cost?\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the highly partisan debate over which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a> restaurant makes the best pizza, Thomas McNaughton admitted his choice to use an electric oven is controversial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For years, the CEO of Flour + Water Hospitality Group — a collection of six Bay Area restaurants and a food brand — couldn’t fathom an electric oven that produced the high heat critical for its award-winning pizza. Most pizza joints use gas or wood-fired ovens instead.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But that changed after he discovered professional electric pizza ovens around six years ago and fell in love with how they performed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ If you’re talking deck ovens, the electric models now outperform gas ovens 100%,” McNaughton said. “I didn’t realize how evolved the technology really is. They’re incredibly powerful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the helm of a restaurant group that holds environmental sustainability as one of its core values, McNaughton realized Flour + Water could have an even greater impact if he switched the power source in their restaurants and kitchens from gas to electric. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001590\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-02-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An employee prepares a pizza before placing it in an all-electric oven at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001594\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001594\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A deep fryer at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001589\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An employee places a pizza into an all-electric oven at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ If this oven is so powerful, couldn’t we build our entire operation around electricity?” McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Flour + Water’s Oakland location, which opened Jan. 2026, is a testament to that vision. There, everything from the boozy slushie machine to the deep fryer, induction cooktops and pizza ovens — which churn out hundreds of pies a day — are 100% electric. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Three years ago, the company committed to all-electric power in all of its future buildouts, McNaughton said, including a planned pizza shop in Palo Alto and a dough production space in Oakland. Two of Flour + Water’s restaurants are now gas-less, and its flagship location in San Francisco’s pizza-dense North Beach neighborhood is mostly electric.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s much easier than people think, and I think there will be a point where it’s not an option,” McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001592\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thomas McNaughton, co-executive chef and CEO at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. The Oakland location uses all-electric appliances in its kitchen. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Chefs like McNaughton are part of a Bay Area culinary movement proving that all-electric restaurants are not only financially viable, but able to produce the same quality food — or even better — as their fossil-fueled peers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, these chefs are cutting against the grain in California, where restaurants still rely heavily on gas and industry groups have resisted the switch to electric cooking in the past, most notably by defeating Berkeley’s first-in-the-nation ban on natural gas hookups in new construction.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The switch to electric appliances — which are less polluting, safer and cleaner — continues to be hampered by transition costs and misconceptions about inferiority.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ We’re truly not giving up a single thing,” McNaughton said. “In fact, we’re enhancing what we believe we’re doing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘A gas-heavy state’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite California’s goals to fight climate change, including achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1279\">2045\u003c/a>, it’s a “gas-heavy state,” according to Rob Jackson, an environmental scientist at Stanford University. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In California, 85% of restaurants use gas to power their appliances, Jackson said, higher than the \u003ca href=\"https://restaurant.org/nra/media/downloads/pdfs/advocacy/2022/banning-natural-gas-at-the-local-level.pdf\">national average\u003c/a> of 76%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-7-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rob Jackson, environmental scientist at Stanford University, poses for a portrait in the Jackson Lab in Stanford on Aug. 27, 2026. Jackson and his team examine how humans affect the Earth through global warming. He chairs the Global Carbon Project, which is working to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“ If we’re to reach our climate goals, eventually that has to stop,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Buildings account for nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the state, and restaurants require more energy to run than other commercial buildings, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Natural gas is mainly composed of methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent, but shorter-lasting, than carbon dioxide. Transitioning from natural gas to electric appliances is the best way for restaurants to reduce their environmental and carbon footprints, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001895\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds an air pump to her ear to ensure air is pumping to the Aeris analyzer, which measures greenhouse gases in the air, at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001896\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001896\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Jackson Lab at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. The Jackson Lab examines how people affect the Earth and works on projects, including greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001892\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001892\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, a staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds a thermocouple logger that measures the temperature on ovens at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Utilities in the state are under a mandate from lawmakers to source 100% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2045. The state is more than halfway to that goal, having sourced 67% of its energy from renewables in 2024. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But more emphasis needs to be put on decarbonizing the demand for energy in the state, said Brady Seals, director of electrification for health at Stanford’s Center for Human and Planetary Health. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ If we’re not addressing the demand side, we’re going to be building buildings that are going to be using [natural gas] for the next thirty to fifty years,” Seals said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A healthier, more efficient kitchen\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Emissions released by burning natural gas may also enter the human body, posing serious health risks. Gas cooking exposes restaurant workers — and homeowners alike — to harmful gases such as methane, benzene and nitrogen dioxide, which leak from stoves whether on or off, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Exposure to nitrogen dioxide from gas and propane stoves may be responsible for up to 19,000 deaths annually in the United States, roughly 40% of the deaths attributable to secondhand smoke, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adm8680\">2024 study\u003c/a> which Jackson led.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You would never stand over the tailpipe of your car breathing in those pollutants, and yet people stand over the stove breathing the same pollutants day after day, meal after meal,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001890\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED-768x521.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-2-KQED-1536x1043.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aeris analyzers, which measure methane, ethane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, in the air rest at the Jackson Lab at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>He called commercial kitchens “amplifiers” of that pollution. Instead of using a single stove, like in a home, professional cooks may work at a 12-burner stove for hours, increasing their exposure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ We know the pollution that’s created by burning fossil fuels is harmful, and there’s no reason to do that when cleaner, better technologies are available,” Jackson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chefs have reported other benefits from switching to induction cooktops, a type of electric stove which uses electromagnetic energy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops are more efficient than gas ones because they heat pots and pans directly, instead of a gas cooktop, where an open flame heats the air around cookware, indirectly warming it, Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ When people say ‘electric kitchen,’ they think about your average apartment stove with a little coil on it, and they’re like, ‘You expect me to run a restaurant on that?’ But that’s not what it is at all,” said Ava Agopsowicz, a line cook at Flour + Water’s Oakland location. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Working at an induction cooktop feels “less greasy,” Agopsowicz said, adding that the kitchen also doesn’t get as hot as cooking with an open flame.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Induction cooktops give chefs what McNaughton described as an “insane” amount of temperature control.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You will never have a pot of cream boil over because they’re just so exact, which is really, really great,” McNaughton said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Induction cooktops also drastically reduce the time restaurant workers spend cleaning their workstations, because they eliminate the soot and heat buildup characteristic of gas grills, said Jilly Middleton, program lead on chefs and cooktops for the Global Cooksafe Coalition.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ With induction it’s literally a 20-second wipe down, and you can have apprentices do it safely because it cools down as soon as you turn the heat off,” Middleton said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Switching from gas to induction also reduces the risk of kitchen workplace hazards such as burns, fires and explosions, Middleton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001595\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jairo Pérez prepares food at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Katie Chin, a Southern California-based “chefluencer” for the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a group that works to eliminate fossil fuels in buildings, said she was thankful to find an induction kitchen at a client’s house once working as a caterer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said she was late to the gig and needed to boil a lot of water in a hurry for a 200-person event.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ Luckily that client had induction, so I was able to boil the water for six hundred dumplings in a fraction of the time it would’ve taken for me to use a gas stove and heat up all that water,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But while the advantages are many, the barriers are still significant.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s not sugarcoat it. It’s not easy to electrify when you already have gas,” Seals said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Change is hard — and expensive \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of the biggest challenges for Flour + Water to realize its all-electric dreams has been finding spaces that can be upgraded to provide the massive amount of energy needed to power their electric ovens, McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A lot of older properties we’re not able to look at, so that can feel somewhat constricting at times,” McNaughton said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whereas many commercial spaces come with gas lines sufficient for restaurant service already installed, McNaughton said setting up the electric service at their Oakland location was a challenge, as it required contractors to “push incredibly thick conduit through many different 90-degree turns,” a step that wouldn’t have been necessary if they opted to use gas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001898\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brady Seals, Director of Electrification for Health, Human and Planetary Health, poses for a portrait at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A lot of the cost of converting to all-electric isn’t the appliances themselves; “it’s really the whole electrical system to support it,” Seals said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s highest-in-the-continental-U.S. electricity rates are also a consideration. Flour + Water’s Oakland location spends around $8,000 a month on electricity, according to a utility bill shared with KQED. Flour + Water’s most recent electric bill saw usage about 34 times greater than the average home in California uses in a month, according to the latest \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/electricity/sales_revenue_price/pdf/table_5A.pdf\">data\u003c/a> from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ The rule of thumb for us is that it’s a small increase to purchase this equipment, and slightly more to run it on a monthly basis,” McNaughton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chefluencers like Chin are also working hard to dispel stereotypes about induction cooking, namely, that it doesn’t get hot enough to appropriately use culturally specific cooking techniques, like Asian Wok cooking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ You just have to keep an open mind that Asian cooking isn’t synonymous with the blue flame,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001591\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260729-ELECTRICRESTAURANT-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An employee walks through a kitchen with all-electric appliances at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>On the contrary, induction wok burners get “super hot, so quickly,” and have actually improved her cooking due to induction’s superior temperature control, Chin said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And I’m not so cranky because it’s cooler in my kitchen,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Learning to cook on induction does require some technique changes, “but we’re hearing that line cooks are picking it up in a matter of weeks, not months,” Middleton said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When cooks try induction cookware, they’re often surprised and don’t want to go back,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The idea that induction cooktops could replace gas ones has been challenged by restaurant industry trade groups, such as the California Restaurant Association, which has argued induction cooking is inadequate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group did not respond to an interview request, but Jot Condie, the Association’s president and CEO, has previously \u003ca href=\"https://www.calrest.org/news/california-restaurant-association-continues-fight-against-ban-natural-gas-infrastructure\">said\u003c/a> that the loss of flame cooking “would dramatically impact restaurant kitchens” and that chefs rely on gas stoves to “grill vegetables, sear meats and create meals of all kinds inspired by cuisines from all over the world.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building momentum \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city of Berkeley led the charge to incentivize building electrification in 2019 when it passed a first-in-the-nation ban on natural gas hookups in new construction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ The essential point of the bill was to say, if you’re building something new, then you would be putting in all-electric,” said Kate Harrison, a former Berkeley City Council member who spearheaded the ban. “We don’t want to expand the gas network.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Berkeley was ultimately forced to repeal the ban after a federal court sided with a lawsuit brought by the California Restaurant Association, which argued the city overstepped its authority and violated federal energy law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001891\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-3-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds an eye button that measures the temperature on stoves and wall heaters, at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, other municipalities are moving forward with all-electric mandates of their own. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2024-09/energy-commission-adopts-updated-building-standards-expanding-requirements-heat\">established\u003c/a> electric-ready infrastructure requirements for some newly constructed commercial kitchens in 2024, mandating that buildings be constructed with the wiring and circuits necessary to replace gas infrastructure. New York City has also successfully \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/us-cities-seeking-to-ban-natural-gas-in-new-buildings-just-got-a-big-win-in-court/\">defended\u003c/a> its own ban on natural gas in new buildings against legal challenges brought by plumbing and building trade groups. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As support for going all-electric builds, Harrison said she sees Berkeley’s original ban as a “proof of concept.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s inevitable. This is where we’re going,” Harrison said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electric-ready mandates in new construction are good policy if California is to meet its climate goals, Seals said. But retrofits — redesigning existing spaces to use electricity instead of gas — are “the hardest nut to crack,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002113\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260729-ElectricRestaurant-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An employee places a pizza into an all-electric oven at Flour + Water Pizza Shop in Oakland on July 29, 2026. The Oakland location uses all-electric appliances, including its pizza ovens. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“ Policymakers have a real role to play for spurring this market, and that’s going to be happening in places like building codes and other kinds of rulemaking,” Seals said. “ This is a sleeper issue that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention until recently, and we’re really in the beginning part of this wave, which I find to be very exciting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Chin, encouraging electrification also means education tailored towards specific ethnic groups and overcoming language barriers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ I do feel like a lot of the Asian restaurant owners may not have access to learning about induction cooking,” Chin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Induction advocates said the future is all-electric. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ The Great British Bake Off is induction. Some of the top restaurants in the world are induction,” Seals said. “The momentum in the market is pushing toward renewable energy and electrification.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Flour + Water’s McNaughton isn’t looking back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve never said, ‘Oh man, I really wish we had a six-burner all-gas range,’” he said. “I don’t miss it at all.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 500px;margin: 80px auto 40px\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-your-support-makes-this-work-possible-500x353@2x.png\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" />\nFrom KQED’s Climate desk, “Flipping the Switch” documents California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by donating today.\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX26\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px;margin: 40px auto\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "east-bay-grief-counselors-strike-to-protest-layoffs-and-protect-the-soul-of-hospice",
"title": "East Bay Grief Counselors Strike to Protest Layoffs and ‘Protect the Soul of Hospice’",
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"headTitle": "East Bay Grief Counselors Strike to Protest Layoffs and ‘Protect the Soul of Hospice’ | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>At 77, Judy Johnson has faced one of the unspoken responsibilities of being the youngest child in the family: shepherding her parents and her three older siblings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/364223/beloved-san-francisco-zen-hospice-project-confronts-its-own-end\">through death\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With her last sister now in hospice care, and no one else left to lean on, Johnson found a lifeline in an emotional support group provided through her sister’s hospice provider, Hospice East Bay. But as the nonprofit’s parent organization prepares to lay off more than 20 staff, including social workers, chaplains and nurses, the support group will be disbanded, and Johnson will have to bear her sister’s death without it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>A key element supporting my emotional well-being will be lost,” Johnson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The nonprofit Hospice East Bay turned over management of its operations to a Florida-based parent company, Chapters Health System, last year, with the stated goal of expanding services. Instead, music therapy and a children’s grief program have been discontinued, and staff members are facing their second round of layoffs. Their union is staging a seven-day strike starting Monday to protest cuts to their own health benefits and demand a fair contract.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re going on strike to protect the soul of hospice,” said Judy Fleischman, a spiritual care counselor at Hospice East Bay. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>The jobs are being cut, and the caseloads will increase for those who remain. Let’s be clear, that is destroying our ability to care compassionately.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002205\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hospice East Bay workers and supporters picket outside the organization’s Pleasant Hill headquarters on Oct. 5, 2026, during the first day of a seven-day strike over layoffs, health benefits and contract negotiations. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hospice began as a volunteer-led, grassroots movement in the 1970s, but in recent decades, it has ballooned into a massive industry. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/aging/hospice-agencies-california-survival-gains-hospital-cms-fraud/\">94% of hospice providers\u003c/a> are now for-profit. Corporate consolidation has been widespread, leading to exploitation and even \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/04/hospice-fraud-california-license-medicare/\">fraud\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a small, independent nonprofit, Hospice East Bay struggled to compete in this environment. Staff say the financial strain of flat government reimbursement rates, coupled with declining patient numbers and money mismanagement, pushed previous executives to affiliate with \u003ca href=\"https://www.chaptershealth.org/\">Chapters Health\u003c/a> last year. By centralizing business operations like human resources, IT, purchasing, and billing, local leaders believed caregivers could focus more on improving clinical services to patients and their families.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Together, we will be able to embrace the challenges of the changing healthcare landscape and create an environment where we have the opportunity to expand our programs and services, strengthening our role as a community leader in quality care,” said Chris Falley, executive director of Hospice East Bay, at the time the partnership agreement was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chaptershealth.org/press-releases/hospice-east-bay-finalizes-agreement-to-join-chapters-health-system/\">finalized in October 2025\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Molosky, president and CEO of Chapters Health, who earned \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/592264957\">$2.2 million\u003c/a> in total compensation in 2024, visited Hospice East Bay headquarters in Pleasant Hill at the time and, according to staff, he told them he foresaw no cuts to clinical staff and no layoffs of senior leaders for at least a year. Six weeks later, two directors left, allegedly forced into retirement. And now staff are fighting back against the second round of clinical layoffs in a year, eliminating 30 positions total.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapters Health did not comment on the layoff decision, but issued a statement from regional director, Tonya Lyons, who said they were “disappointed” by the union’s plan to strike. Care for current hospice patients will continue through the seven-day walkout, she said, with a contingency team of clinicians, administrators, and on-call physicians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lyons said management is committed to reaching a contract with the union that “will lay the groundwork for long-term sustainability and ensure the ability to grow into the future.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Union members countered that the current job cuts will leave remaining staff stretched long after the strike is over. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Social workers will have to care for 40 patients instead of 30. Chaplains will have 80 patients instead of 50. Two bereavement counselors will be left to help 1,200 patients and family members facing the loss of their loved ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The remaining chaplains will have to figure out who will not get spiritual care,” said Claire Eustace, a chaplain who will be laid off this month. “It’s one thing when people say they don’t want spiritual care support, but it’s quite a different thing when we decide that for them, because we just don’t have the time to visit them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002210\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Claire Eustace leads hospice workers and supporters in a chant outside Hospice East Bay’s Pleasant Hill headquarters on Oct. 5, 2026, during the first day of a seven-day strike. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family support group that Judy Johnson attends is run by a social worker who is being laid off. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With their increased caseloads, the remaining social workers are unlikely to have time to continue it. Johnson wonders what might happen to the care her sister, Maxine, receives. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s 88, suffering from Parkinson’s dementia, and bedbound from a recent fall. Johnson said the nurses and aides who visit are all highly professional, caring people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I look at how the home health aide bathes my sister, the gentleness with which she touches her body. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She doesn’t just grab a limb and begin washing it. She said, ‘Miss Maxine, I’m gonna do your arm now, okay?’” Johnson said. If there are more and more patients to visit in a day, she worries, “my sister’s bath may not be so gentle and life-affirming.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California attorney general’s office reviewed the affiliation agreement between Hospice East Bay and Chapters Health last summer, and approved it on several conditions, including the creation of a quality advisory committee and the maintenance of programs historically funded by donations rather than government payments, like music therapy and bereavement services for families.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to staff, such therapy programs have not been maintained, and with the latest round of cuts to the bereavement team, peer support groups and one-on-one counseling for loved ones left behind will be scaled back. It’s unclear what kind of recourse the attorney general’s office may have. It did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Social worker Julie Aronowitz, who is also being laid off, compared the staff cuts to a poem about violinist Yitzhak Perlman, who once performed with only three strings on his instrument after one of them broke. He adapted and played with “power and intensity” anyway.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This poem talks about how we make music with what remains,” Aronowitz said. “But how do you make music with just one string left?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The nonprofit Hospice East Bay turned over management of its operations to a Florida-based parent company, Chapters Health System, last year, with the stated goal of expanding services. Instead, music therapy and a children’s grief program have been discontinued, and staff members are facing their second round of layoffs. Their union is staging a seven-day strike starting Monday to protest cuts to their own health benefits and demand a fair contract.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re going on strike to protect the soul of hospice,” said Judy Fleischman, a spiritual care counselor at Hospice East Bay. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>The jobs are being cut, and the caseloads will increase for those who remain. Let’s be clear, that is destroying our ability to care compassionately.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re going on strike to protect the soul of hospice,” said Judy Fleischman, a spiritual care counselor at Hospice East Bay. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>The jobs are being cut, and the caseloads will increase for those who remain. Let’s be clear, that is destroying our ability to care compassionately.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002205\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hospice East Bay workers and supporters picket outside the organization’s Pleasant Hill headquarters on Oct. 5, 2026, during the first day of a seven-day strike over layoffs, health benefits and contract negotiations.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002205\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hospice East Bay workers and supporters picket outside the organization’s Pleasant Hill headquarters on Oct. 5, 2026, during the first day of a seven-day strike over layoffs, health benefits and contract negotiations.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hospice began as a volunteer-led, grassroots movement in the 1970s, but in recent decades, it has ballooned into a massive industry. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/aging/hospice-agencies-california-survival-gains-hospital-cms-fraud/\">94% of hospice providers\u003c/a> are now for-profit. Corporate consolidation has been widespread, leading to exploitation and even \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/04/hospice-fraud-california-license-medicare/\">fraud\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hospice began as a volunteer-led, grassroots movement in the 1970s, but in recent decades, it has ballooned into a massive industry. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/aging/hospice-agencies-california-survival-gains-hospital-cms-fraud/\">94% of hospice providers\u003c/a> are now for-profit. Corporate consolidation has been widespread, leading to exploitation and even \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/04/hospice-fraud-california-license-medicare/\">fraud\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a small, independent nonprofit, Hospice East Bay struggled to compete in this environment. Staff say the financial strain of flat government reimbursement rates, coupled with declining patient numbers and money mismanagement, pushed previous executives to affiliate with \u003ca href=\"https://www.chaptershealth.org/\">Chapters Health\u003c/a> last year. By centralizing business operations like human resources, IT, purchasing, and billing, local leaders believed caregivers could focus more on improving clinical services to patients and their families.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As a small, independent nonprofit, Hospice East Bay struggled to compete in this environment. Staff say the financial strain of flat government reimbursement rates, coupled with declining patient numbers and money mismanagement, pushed previous executives to affiliate with \u003ca href=\"https://www.chaptershealth.org/\">Chapters Health\u003c/a> last year. By centralizing business operations like human resources, IT, purchasing, and billing, local leaders believed caregivers could focus more on improving clinical services to patients and their families.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Together, we will be able to embrace the challenges of the changing healthcare landscape and create an environment where we have the opportunity to expand our programs and services, strengthening our role as a community leader in quality care,” said Chris Falley, executive director of Hospice East Bay, at the time the partnership agreement was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chaptershealth.org/press-releases/hospice-east-bay-finalizes-agreement-to-join-chapters-health-system/\">finalized in October 2025\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Together, we will be able to embrace the challenges of the changing healthcare landscape and create an environment where we have the opportunity to expand our programs and services, strengthening our role as a community leader in quality care,” said Chris Falley, executive director of Hospice East Bay, at the time the partnership agreement was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chaptershealth.org/press-releases/hospice-east-bay-finalizes-agreement-to-join-chapters-health-system/\">finalized in October 2025\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andrew Molosky, president and CEO of Chapters Health, who earned \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/592264957\">$2.2 million\u003c/a> in total compensation in 2024, visited Hospice East Bay headquarters in Pleasant Hill at the time and, according to staff, he told them he foresaw no cuts to clinical staff and no layoffs of senior leaders for at least a year. Six weeks later, two directors left, allegedly forced into retirement. And now staff are fighting back against the second round of clinical layoffs in a year, eliminating 30 positions total.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andrew Molosky, president and CEO of Chapters Health, who earned \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/592264957\">$2.2 million\u003c/a> in total compensation in 2024, visited Hospice East Bay headquarters in Pleasant Hill at the time and, according to staff, he told them he foresaw no cuts to clinical staff and no layoffs of senior leaders for at least a year. Six weeks later, two directors left, allegedly forced into retirement. And now staff are fighting back against the second round of clinical layoffs in a year, eliminating 30 positions total.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chapters Health did not comment on the layoff decision, but issued a statement from regional director, Tonya Lyons, who said they were “disappointed” by the union’s plan to strike. Care for current hospice patients will continue through the seven-day walkout, she said, with a contingency team of clinicians, administrators, and on-call physicians.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chapters Health did not comment on the layoff decision, but issued a statement from regional director, Tonya Lyons, who said they were “disappointed” by the union’s plan to strike. Care for current hospice patients will continue through the seven-day walkout, she said, with a contingency team of clinicians, administrators, and on-call physicians.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lyons said management is committed to reaching a contract with the union that “will lay the groundwork for long-term sustainability and ensure the ability to grow into the future.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Union members countered that the current job cuts will leave remaining staff stretched long after the strike is over. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Social workers will have to care for 40 patients instead of 30. Chaplains will have 80 patients instead of 50. Two bereavement counselors will be left to help 1,200 patients and family members facing the loss of their loved ones.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Social workers will have to care for 40 patients instead of 30. Chaplains will have 80 patients instead of 50. Two bereavement counselors will be left to help 1,200 patients and family members facing the loss of their loved ones.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The remaining chaplains will have to figure out who will not get spiritual care,” said Claire Eustace, a chaplain who will be laid off this month. “It’s one thing when people say they don’t want spiritual care support, but it’s quite a different thing when we decide that for them, because we just don’t have the time to visit them.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The remaining chaplains will have to figure out who will not get spiritual care,” said Claire Eustace, a chaplain who will be laid off this month. “It’s one thing when people say they don’t want spiritual care support, but it’s quite a different thing when we decide that for them, because we just don’t have the time to visit them.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002210\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Claire Eustace leads hospice workers and supporters in a chant outside Hospice East Bay’s Pleasant Hill headquarters on Oct. 5, 2026, during the first day of a seven-day strike.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The family support group that Judy Johnson attends is run by a social worker who is being laid off. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With their increased caseloads, the remaining social workers are unlikely to have time to continue it. Johnson wonders what might happen to the care her sister, Maxine, receives. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With their increased caseloads, the remaining social workers are unlikely to have time to continue it. Johnson wonders what might happen to the care her sister, Maxine, receives. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She’s 88, suffering from Parkinson’s dementia, and bedbound from a recent fall. Johnson said the nurses and aides who visit are all highly professional, caring people.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She’s 88, suffering from Parkinson’s dementia, and bedbound from a recent fall. Johnson said the nurses and aides who visit are all highly professional, caring people.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I look at how the home health aide bathes my sister, the gentleness with which she touches her body. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She doesn’t just grab a limb and begin washing it. She said, ‘Miss Maxine, I’m gonna do your arm now, okay?’” Johnson said. If there are more and more patients to visit in a day, she worries, “my sister’s bath may not be so gentle and life-affirming.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She doesn’t just grab a limb and begin washing it. She said, ‘Miss Maxine, I’m gonna do your arm now, okay?’” Johnson said. If there are more and more patients to visit in a day, she worries, “my sister’s bath may not be so gentle and life-affirming.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California attorney general’s office reviewed the affiliation agreement between Hospice East Bay and Chapters Health last summer, and approved it on several conditions, including the creation of a quality advisory committee and the maintenance of programs historically funded by donations rather than government payments, like music therapy and bereavement services for families.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The California attorney general’s office reviewed the affiliation agreement between Hospice East Bay and Chapters Health last summer, and approved it on several conditions, including the creation of a quality advisory committee and the maintenance of programs historically funded by donations rather than government payments, like music therapy and bereavement services for families.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to staff, such therapy programs have not been maintained, and with the latest round of cuts to the bereavement team, peer support groups and one-on-one counseling for loved ones left behind will be scaled back. It’s unclear what kind of recourse the attorney general’s office may have. It did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to staff, such therapy programs have not been maintained, and with the latest round of cuts to the bereavement team, peer support groups and one-on-one counseling for loved ones left behind will be scaled back. It’s unclear what kind of recourse the attorney general’s office may have. It did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Social worker Julie Aronowitz, who is also being laid off, compared the staff cuts to a poem about violinist Yitzhak Perlman, who once performed with only three strings on his instrument after one of them broke. He adapted and played with “power and intensity” anyway.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Social worker Julie Aronowitz, who is also being laid off, compared the staff cuts to a poem about violinist Yitzhak Perlman, who once performed with only three strings on his instrument after one of them broke. He adapted and played with “power and intensity” anyway.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This poem talks about how we make music with what remains,” Aronowitz said. “But how do you make music with just one string left?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Staff at Hospice East Bay warn that services and care quality will deteriorate under the continued leadership of Florida-based Chapters Health Systems.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>At 77, Judy Johnson has faced one of the unspoken responsibilities of being the youngest child in the family: shepherding her parents and her three older siblings \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/364223/beloved-san-francisco-zen-hospice-project-confronts-its-own-end\">through death\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With her last sister now in hospice care, and no one else left to lean on, Johnson found a lifeline in an emotional support group provided through her sister’s hospice provider, Hospice East Bay. But as the nonprofit’s parent organization prepares to lay off more than 20 staff, including social workers, chaplains and nurses, the support group will be disbanded, and Johnson will have to bear her sister’s death without it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>A key element supporting my emotional well-being will be lost,” Johnson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The nonprofit Hospice East Bay turned over management of its operations to a Florida-based parent company, Chapters Health System, last year, with the stated goal of expanding services. Instead, music therapy and a children’s grief program have been discontinued, and staff members are facing their second round of layoffs. Their union is staging a seven-day strike starting Monday to protest cuts to their own health benefits and demand a fair contract.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re going on strike to protect the soul of hospice,” said Judy Fleischman, a spiritual care counselor at Hospice East Bay. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>The jobs are being cut, and the caseloads will increase for those who remain. Let’s be clear, that is destroying our ability to care compassionately.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002205\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HOSPICESTRIKE-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hospice East Bay workers and supporters picket outside the organization’s Pleasant Hill headquarters on Oct. 5, 2026, during the first day of a seven-day strike over layoffs, health benefits and contract negotiations. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hospice began as a volunteer-led, grassroots movement in the 1970s, but in recent decades, it has ballooned into a massive industry. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://kffhealthnews.org/aging/hospice-agencies-california-survival-gains-hospital-cms-fraud/\">94% of hospice providers\u003c/a> are now for-profit. Corporate consolidation has been widespread, leading to exploitation and even \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/04/hospice-fraud-california-license-medicare/\">fraud\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a small, independent nonprofit, Hospice East Bay struggled to compete in this environment. Staff say the financial strain of flat government reimbursement rates, coupled with declining patient numbers and money mismanagement, pushed previous executives to affiliate with \u003ca href=\"https://www.chaptershealth.org/\">Chapters Health\u003c/a> last year. By centralizing business operations like human resources, IT, purchasing, and billing, local leaders believed caregivers could focus more on improving clinical services to patients and their families.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Together, we will be able to embrace the challenges of the changing healthcare landscape and create an environment where we have the opportunity to expand our programs and services, strengthening our role as a community leader in quality care,” said Chris Falley, executive director of Hospice East Bay, at the time the partnership agreement was \u003ca href=\"https://www.chaptershealth.org/press-releases/hospice-east-bay-finalizes-agreement-to-join-chapters-health-system/\">finalized in October 2025\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Molosky, president and CEO of Chapters Health, who earned \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/592264957\">$2.2 million\u003c/a> in total compensation in 2024, visited Hospice East Bay headquarters in Pleasant Hill at the time and, according to staff, he told them he foresaw no cuts to clinical staff and no layoffs of senior leaders for at least a year. Six weeks later, two directors left, allegedly forced into retirement. And now staff are fighting back against the second round of clinical layoffs in a year, eliminating 30 positions total.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chapters Health did not comment on the layoff decision, but issued a statement from regional director, Tonya Lyons, who said they were “disappointed” by the union’s plan to strike. Care for current hospice patients will continue through the seven-day walkout, she said, with a contingency team of clinicians, administrators, and on-call physicians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lyons said management is committed to reaching a contract with the union that “will lay the groundwork for long-term sustainability and ensure the ability to grow into the future.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Union members countered that the current job cuts will leave remaining staff stretched long after the strike is over. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Social workers will have to care for 40 patients instead of 30. Chaplains will have 80 patients instead of 50. Two bereavement counselors will be left to help 1,200 patients and family members facing the loss of their loved ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The remaining chaplains will have to figure out who will not get spiritual care,” said Claire Eustace, a chaplain who will be laid off this month. “It’s one thing when people say they don’t want spiritual care support, but it’s quite a different thing when we decide that for them, because we just don’t have the time to visit them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002210\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/261005-HospiceStrike-18-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Claire Eustace leads hospice workers and supporters in a chant outside Hospice East Bay’s Pleasant Hill headquarters on Oct. 5, 2026, during the first day of a seven-day strike. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The family support group that Judy Johnson attends is run by a social worker who is being laid off. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>With their increased caseloads, the remaining social workers are unlikely to have time to continue it. Johnson wonders what might happen to the care her sister, Maxine, receives. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She’s 88, suffering from Parkinson’s dementia, and bedbound from a recent fall. Johnson said the nurses and aides who visit are all highly professional, caring people.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I look at how the home health aide bathes my sister, the gentleness with which she touches her body. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She doesn’t just grab a limb and begin washing it. She said, ‘Miss Maxine, I’m gonna do your arm now, okay?’” Johnson said. If there are more and more patients to visit in a day, she worries, “my sister’s bath may not be so gentle and life-affirming.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California attorney general’s office reviewed the affiliation agreement between Hospice East Bay and Chapters Health last summer, and approved it on several conditions, including the creation of a quality advisory committee and the maintenance of programs historically funded by donations rather than government payments, like music therapy and bereavement services for families.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to staff, such therapy programs have not been maintained, and with the latest round of cuts to the bereavement team, peer support groups and one-on-one counseling for loved ones left behind will be scaled back. It’s unclear what kind of recourse the attorney general’s office may have. It did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Social worker Julie Aronowitz, who is also being laid off, compared the staff cuts to a poem about violinist Yitzhak Perlman, who once performed with only three strings on his instrument after one of them broke. He adapted and played with “power and intensity” anyway.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This poem talks about how we make music with what remains,” Aronowitz said. “But how do you make music with just one string left?”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "could-californias-1-million-electric-car-batteries-help-power-the-states-grid",
"title": "Could California’s 1 Million Electric Car Batteries Help Power the State’s Grid? ",
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"headTitle": "Could California’s 1 Million Electric Car Batteries Help Power the State’s Grid? | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>California is in the middle of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001611/californias-solar-and-battery-boom-is-transforming-the-power-grid\">battery boom\u003c/a>. Yet to meet its clean energy goals, the state needs a lot more storage capacity — \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/10/24/california-reaches-energy-storage-milestone/\">52,000 megawatts\u003c/a>, to be exact. That’s about double what it currently has online.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s electric vehicles could help provide some of that energy through the magic of a technology called bidirectional charging. It allows electric vehicles to store energy generated by solar, wind, and other clean sources and utilities to tap into the car batteries when they need extra power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California has over \u003ca href=\"https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10962\">1 million\u003c/a> electric vehicles parked at homes and offices across the state — the most of any state in the U.S. Today, these vehicles primarily take electricity from the grid, but if they could send it back, then they could contribute to the state’s storage capacity and get paid for their contributions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1183\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1931183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-800x493.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-768x473.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1020x628.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1200x739.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1180x727.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-960x592.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-240x148.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-375x231.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-520x320.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electric cars use the carpool lane onramp to the Bay Bridge. Bidirectional charging technology would allow electric vehicles to store energy generated by solar, wind, and other clean sources and utilities to tap into the car batteries when they need extra power. (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday, PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/More-California-EV-Owners-Can-Now-Power-Their-Homes-Save-on-Energy-Costs-and-Support-the-Grid-Through-PGEs-Expanded-Vehicle-to-Everything-Program/default.aspx\">announced\u003c/a> an expansion of its “vehicle to everything” pilot program designed to test this technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program first launched in 2023 with select cars and chargers, according to Kristin Landry, PG&E’s product manager of Vehicle-Grid Integration. Kia, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan will now participate in the program along with new car models from existing partners. The utility also brought on new charging and software from Wallbox, dcbel, PowerFlex and Bidirectional Energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Part of what is exciting is that all of these [partners] are really interested in this grid-tied capability, so they are helping customers through the interconnection process,” Landry said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fledgling program is still small, with just 51 residential customers right now. And, according to Landry, these customers can only generate backup power — meaning that they can power their home if the electricity gets cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Landry said that customers cannot sell energy back to PG&E and contribute to California’s overall energy storage capacity until they go through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">interconnection process\u003c/a> mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission; the same as for anyone who wants to generate or store energy on their property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This process can be time-consuming and expensive for consumers. General Motors’ “vehicle to home” \u003ca href=\"https://gmenergy.gm.com/\">kits\u003c/a> cost between $8,998 and $29,997 — though they are currently on sale. In addition to the specialized equipment, consumers have to pay for the vehicle, the permits and, potentially, for an electrical upgrade if their home does not have the recommended 200-amp capacity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bidirectional.energy/learn/california\">Bidirectional Energy’s\u003c/a> website, the whole process can take three to five months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benjamin Tuff, the chief marketing officer at dcbel, one of the companies building bidirectional chargers, said that the company wants to handle most of the installation, site inspection and permitting to “make the process as white glove as possible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The utility and participating companies currently offer incentives to sweeten the deal for consumers interested in joining the program. All participants receive a $2,500 rebate from PG&E; the first 250 to join pocket an additional $1,500 — as of this month, the utility had 199 spots left, Landry said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>There are also rebates for the Bidirectional Energy’s and dcbel’s charging systems, which range from $9,000 to $13,800, and customers can “stack” those on top of other incentives that California offers like its $3,500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091276/how-does-californias-3500-ev-rebate-work\">electric vehicle\u003c/a> rebate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4674\" height=\"3138\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1930311\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg 4674w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1020x685.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1200x806.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1920x1289.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1180x792.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-960x645.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-240x161.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-375x252.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-520x349.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4674px) 100vw, 4674px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A vehicle-charging station is seen near San Francisco City Hall on Aug. 25, 2010. All participants in PG&E bidirectional charging pilot program will receive a $2,500 utility rebate, plus an extra $1,500 for the first 250 to join. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After the upfront costs are paid, participants can reduce their annual energy costs — \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcbel.energy/ara\">dcbel\u003c/a> estimates people can save $1,300 a year with software that automatically charges vehicles when energy prices are the cheapest, typically between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And they can earn $3,200 each year by selling power back when electricity is at its most expensive, usually between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tuff said that their system takes care of all the technical and financial decisions for the consumer. For example, if a customer were to plug in their car after work when prices were high, the system would use the car battery to power the home and then switch over to charging later at night when prices drop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://iea.org/reports/vehicle-to-grid-technology\">International Energy Agency\u003c/a> found that battery degradation due to overuse has been a key concern for vehicle owners, but noted that recent testing found well-managed charging and discharging can potentially help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Greggory Kresge, senior manager of utility engagement and transportation electrification at the World Resources Institute, said that these programs appeal to utilities like PG&E because these vehicles can “be this amazing resource that the utility doesn’t own, but that they can take advantage of” to help manage the grid and onboard more renewable energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As [these programs] mature, and EV adoption and bidirectional charging increases, the adoption of electric vehicles is forecasted to reach 8 million vehicles by 2035,” PG&E told KQED in an email. This level of adoption could displace some of the need for building out large industrial battery parks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California has over \u003ca href=\"https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10962\">1 million\u003c/a> electric vehicles parked at homes and offices across the state — the most of any state in the U.S. Today, these vehicles primarily take electricity from the grid, but if they could send it back, then they could contribute to the state’s storage capacity and get paid for their contributions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California has over \u003ca href=\"https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10962\">1 million\u003c/a> electric vehicles parked at homes and offices across the state — the most of any state in the U.S. Today, these vehicles primarily take electricity from the grid, but if they could send it back, then they could contribute to the state’s storage capacity and get paid for their contributions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1931183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-800x493.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-768x473.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1020x628.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1200x739.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1180x727.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-960x592.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-240x148.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-375x231.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-520x320.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electric cars use the carpool lane onramp to the Bay Bridge. Bidirectional charging technology would allow electric vehicles to store energy generated by solar, wind, and other clean sources and utilities to tap into the car batteries when they need extra power.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/More-California-EV-Owners-Can-Now-Power-Their-Homes-Save-on-Energy-Costs-and-Support-the-Grid-Through-PGEs-Expanded-Vehicle-to-Everything-Program/default.aspx\">announced\u003c/a> an expansion of its “vehicle to everything” pilot program designed to test this technology. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/More-California-EV-Owners-Can-Now-Power-Their-Homes-Save-on-Energy-Costs-and-Support-the-Grid-Through-PGEs-Expanded-Vehicle-to-Everything-Program/default.aspx\">announced\u003c/a> an expansion of its “vehicle to everything” pilot program designed to test this technology. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program first launched in 2023 with select cars and chargers, according to Kristin Landry, PG&E’s product manager of Vehicle-Grid Integration. Kia, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan will now participate in the program along with new car models from existing partners. The utility also brought on new charging and software from Wallbox, dcbel, PowerFlex and Bidirectional Energy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The program first launched in 2023 with select cars and chargers, according to Kristin Landry, PG&E’s product manager of Vehicle-Grid Integration. Kia, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan will now participate in the program along with new car models from existing partners. The utility also brought on new charging and software from Wallbox, dcbel, PowerFlex and Bidirectional Energy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Part of what is exciting is that all of these [partners] are really interested in this grid-tied capability, so they are helping customers through the interconnection process,” Landry said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Part of what is exciting is that all of these [partners] are really interested in this grid-tied capability, so they are helping customers through the interconnection process,” Landry said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The fledgling program is still small, with just 51 residential customers right now. And, according to Landry, these customers can only generate backup power — meaning that they can power their home if the electricity gets cut.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The fledgling program is still small, with just 51 residential customers right now. And, according to Landry, these customers can only generate backup power — meaning that they can power their home if the electricity gets cut.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Landry said that customers cannot sell energy back to PG&E and contribute to California’s overall energy storage capacity until they go through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">interconnection process\u003c/a> mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission; the same as for anyone who wants to generate or store energy on their property.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Landry said that customers cannot sell energy back to PG&E and contribute to California’s overall energy storage capacity until they go through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">interconnection process\u003c/a> mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission; the same as for anyone who wants to generate or store energy on their property.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This process can be time-consuming and expensive for consumers. General Motors’ “vehicle to home” \u003ca href=\"https://gmenergy.gm.com/\">kits\u003c/a> cost between $8,998 and $29,997 — though they are currently on sale. In addition to the specialized equipment, consumers have to pay for the vehicle, the permits and, potentially, for an electrical upgrade if their home does not have the recommended 200-amp capacity. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This process can be time-consuming and expensive for consumers. General Motors’ “vehicle to home” \u003ca href=\"https://gmenergy.gm.com/\">kits\u003c/a> cost between $8,998 and $29,997 — though they are currently on sale. In addition to the specialized equipment, consumers have to pay for the vehicle, the permits and, potentially, for an electrical upgrade if their home does not have the recommended 200-amp capacity. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bidirectional.energy/learn/california\">Bidirectional Energy’s\u003c/a> website, the whole process can take three to five months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bidirectional.energy/learn/california\">Bidirectional Energy’s\u003c/a> website, the whole process can take three to five months. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Benjamin Tuff, the chief marketing officer at dcbel, one of the companies building bidirectional chargers, said that the company wants to handle most of the installation, site inspection and permitting to “make the process as white glove as possible.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Benjamin Tuff, the chief marketing officer at dcbel, one of the companies building bidirectional chargers, said that the company wants to handle most of the installation, site inspection and permitting to “make the process as white glove as possible.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The utility and participating companies currently offer incentives to sweeten the deal for consumers interested in joining the program. All participants receive a $2,500 rebate from PG&E; the first 250 to join pocket an additional $1,500 — as of this month, the utility had 199 spots left, Landry said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>There are also rebates for the Bidirectional Energy’s and dcbel’s charging systems, which range from $9,000 to $13,800, and customers can “stack” those on top of other incentives that California offers like its $3,500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091276/how-does-californias-3500-ev-rebate-work\">electric vehicle\u003c/a> rebate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The utility and participating companies currently offer incentives to sweeten the deal for consumers interested in joining the program. All participants receive a $2,500 rebate from PG&E; the first 250 to join pocket an additional $1,500 — as of this month, the utility had 199 spots left, Landry said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>There are also rebates for the Bidirectional Energy’s and dcbel’s charging systems, which range from $9,000 to $13,800, and customers can “stack” those on top of other incentives that California offers like its $3,500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091276/how-does-californias-3500-ev-rebate-work\">electric vehicle\u003c/a> rebate. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1930311\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg 4674w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1020x685.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1200x806.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1920x1289.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1180x792.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-960x645.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-240x161.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-375x252.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-520x349.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A vehicle-charging station is seen near San Francisco City Hall on Aug. 25, 2010. All participants in PG&E bidirectional charging pilot program will receive a $2,500 utility rebate, plus an extra $1,500 for the first 250 to join.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After the upfront costs are paid, participants can reduce their annual energy costs — \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcbel.energy/ara\">dcbel\u003c/a> estimates people can save $1,300 a year with software that automatically charges vehicles when energy prices are the cheapest, typically between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And they can earn $3,200 each year by selling power back when electricity is at its most expensive, usually between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After the upfront costs are paid, participants can reduce their annual energy costs — \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcbel.energy/ara\">dcbel\u003c/a> estimates people can save $1,300 a year with software that automatically charges vehicles when energy prices are the cheapest, typically between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And they can earn $3,200 each year by selling power back when electricity is at its most expensive, usually between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tuff said that their system takes care of all the technical and financial decisions for the consumer. For example, if a customer were to plug in their car after work when prices were high, the system would use the car battery to power the home and then switch over to charging later at night when prices drop. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tuff said that their system takes care of all the technical and financial decisions for the consumer. For example, if a customer were to plug in their car after work when prices were high, the system would use the car battery to power the home and then switch over to charging later at night when prices drop. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://iea.org/reports/vehicle-to-grid-technology\">International Energy Agency\u003c/a> found that battery degradation due to overuse has been a key concern for vehicle owners, but noted that recent testing found well-managed charging and discharging can potentially help. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://iea.org/reports/vehicle-to-grid-technology\">International Energy Agency\u003c/a> found that battery degradation due to overuse has been a key concern for vehicle owners, but noted that recent testing found well-managed charging and discharging can potentially help. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Greggory Kresge, senior manager of utility engagement and transportation electrification at the World Resources Institute, said that these programs appeal to utilities like PG&E because these vehicles can “be this amazing resource that the utility doesn’t own, but that they can take advantage of” to help manage the grid and onboard more renewable energy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Greggory Kresge, senior manager of utility engagement and transportation electrification at the World Resources Institute, said that these programs appeal to utilities like PG&E because these vehicles can “be this amazing resource that the utility doesn’t own, but that they can take advantage of” to help manage the grid and onboard more renewable energy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As [these programs] mature, and EV adoption and bidirectional charging increases, the adoption of electric vehicles is forecasted to reach 8 million vehicles by 2035,” PG&E told KQED in an email. This level of adoption could displace some of the need for building out large industrial battery parks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As [these programs] mature, and EV adoption and bidirectional charging increases, the adoption of electric vehicles is forecasted to reach 8 million vehicles by 2035,” PG&E told KQED in an email. This level of adoption could displace some of the need for building out large industrial battery parks.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "PG&E is expanding a program that allows electric vehicle owners to sell energy back to the grid when demand — and the price consumers will get for it — are highest. ",
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"title": "Could California’s 1 Million Electric Car Batteries Help Power the State’s Grid? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>California is in the middle of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001611/californias-solar-and-battery-boom-is-transforming-the-power-grid\">battery boom\u003c/a>. Yet to meet its clean energy goals, the state needs a lot more storage capacity — \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/10/24/california-reaches-energy-storage-milestone/\">52,000 megawatts\u003c/a>, to be exact. That’s about double what it currently has online.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s electric vehicles could help provide some of that energy through the magic of a technology called bidirectional charging. It allows electric vehicles to store energy generated by solar, wind, and other clean sources and utilities to tap into the car batteries when they need extra power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California has over \u003ca href=\"https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10962\">1 million\u003c/a> electric vehicles parked at homes and offices across the state — the most of any state in the U.S. Today, these vehicles primarily take electricity from the grid, but if they could send it back, then they could contribute to the state’s storage capacity and get paid for their contributions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1183\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1931183\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-160x99.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-800x493.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-768x473.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1020x628.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1200x739.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-1180x727.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-960x592.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-240x148.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-375x231.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/ElectricCars_AW_16-1-520x320.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Electric cars use the carpool lane onramp to the Bay Bridge. Bidirectional charging technology would allow electric vehicles to store energy generated by solar, wind, and other clean sources and utilities to tap into the car batteries when they need extra power. (Anne Wernikoff/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Monday, PG&E \u003ca href=\"https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/More-California-EV-Owners-Can-Now-Power-Their-Homes-Save-on-Energy-Costs-and-Support-the-Grid-Through-PGEs-Expanded-Vehicle-to-Everything-Program/default.aspx\">announced\u003c/a> an expansion of its “vehicle to everything” pilot program designed to test this technology. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program first launched in 2023 with select cars and chargers, according to Kristin Landry, PG&E’s product manager of Vehicle-Grid Integration. Kia, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan will now participate in the program along with new car models from existing partners. The utility also brought on new charging and software from Wallbox, dcbel, PowerFlex and Bidirectional Energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Part of what is exciting is that all of these [partners] are really interested in this grid-tied capability, so they are helping customers through the interconnection process,” Landry said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fledgling program is still small, with just 51 residential customers right now. And, according to Landry, these customers can only generate backup power — meaning that they can power their home if the electricity gets cut.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Landry said that customers cannot sell energy back to PG&E and contribute to California’s overall energy storage capacity until they go through an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">interconnection process\u003c/a> mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission; the same as for anyone who wants to generate or store energy on their property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This process can be time-consuming and expensive for consumers. General Motors’ “vehicle to home” \u003ca href=\"https://gmenergy.gm.com/\">kits\u003c/a> cost between $8,998 and $29,997 — though they are currently on sale. In addition to the specialized equipment, consumers have to pay for the vehicle, the permits and, potentially, for an electrical upgrade if their home does not have the recommended 200-amp capacity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bidirectional.energy/learn/california\">Bidirectional Energy’s\u003c/a> website, the whole process can take three to five months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Benjamin Tuff, the chief marketing officer at dcbel, one of the companies building bidirectional chargers, said that the company wants to handle most of the installation, site inspection and permitting to “make the process as white glove as possible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The utility and participating companies currently offer incentives to sweeten the deal for consumers interested in joining the program. All participants receive a $2,500 rebate from PG&E; the first 250 to join pocket an additional $1,500 — as of this month, the utility had 199 spots left, Landry said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>There are also rebates for the Bidirectional Energy’s and dcbel’s charging systems, which range from $9,000 to $13,800, and customers can “stack” those on top of other incentives that California offers like its $3,500 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091276/how-does-californias-3500-ev-rebate-work\">electric vehicle\u003c/a> rebate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4674\" height=\"3138\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1930311\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1.jpg 4674w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-800x537.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1020x685.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1200x806.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1920x1289.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-1180x792.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-960x645.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-240x161.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-375x252.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/08/GettyImages-103634156-1-520x349.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4674px) 100vw, 4674px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A vehicle-charging station is seen near San Francisco City Hall on Aug. 25, 2010. All participants in PG&E bidirectional charging pilot program will receive a $2,500 utility rebate, plus an extra $1,500 for the first 250 to join. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After the upfront costs are paid, participants can reduce their annual energy costs — \u003ca href=\"https://www.dcbel.energy/ara\">dcbel\u003c/a> estimates people can save $1,300 a year with software that automatically charges vehicles when energy prices are the cheapest, typically between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And they can earn $3,200 each year by selling power back when electricity is at its most expensive, usually between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tuff said that their system takes care of all the technical and financial decisions for the consumer. For example, if a customer were to plug in their car after work when prices were high, the system would use the car battery to power the home and then switch over to charging later at night when prices drop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://iea.org/reports/vehicle-to-grid-technology\">International Energy Agency\u003c/a> found that battery degradation due to overuse has been a key concern for vehicle owners, but noted that recent testing found well-managed charging and discharging can potentially help. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Greggory Kresge, senior manager of utility engagement and transportation electrification at the World Resources Institute, said that these programs appeal to utilities like PG&E because these vehicles can “be this amazing resource that the utility doesn’t own, but that they can take advantage of” to help manage the grid and onboard more renewable energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As [these programs] mature, and EV adoption and bidirectional charging increases, the adoption of electric vehicles is forecasted to reach 8 million vehicles by 2035,” PG&E told KQED in an email. This level of adoption could displace some of the need for building out large industrial battery parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-franciscos-dahlia-show-celebrates-a-century-of-floral-diversity",
"title": "San Francisco’s Dahlia Show Celebrates a Century of Floral Diversity",
"publishDate": 1786988584,
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"headTitle": "San Francisco’s Dahlia Show Celebrates a Century of Floral Diversity | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Hundreds of dahlias turned a corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco into a showcase of color, shape and genetic diversity this past weekend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of California’s annual show returned to the park, this time to mark the 100th anniversary of San Francisco naming the dahlia its official flower. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year was themed “San Francisco Icons,” with dahlia arrangements evoking the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, the Painted Ladies, Coit Tower and other city landmarks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Single-bloom dahlias are displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-11 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001724\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001724\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marzieh Yaghini admires a dahlia at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001733\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Golden Gate Bridge dahlia arrangement is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Visitors wandered among rows of carefully cultivated blooms, many of them competing for ribbons and recognition from judges and, for attendees, simply offering a chance to slow down and look closely at a flower that can be surprisingly complex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One of the reasons we love San Francisco is because there’s so many different kinds of people here. And Dahlias are kind of the San Francisco of floral society,” said Deborah Dietz, corresponding secretary for the Dahlia Society and longtime volunteer in Golden Gate Park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s 21 forms of dahlias, there’s 15 official colors and there’s five different sizes,” she added. “And that’s just categories.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-12 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001728\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Judges examine dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001727\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the public enjoy the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-13 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001725\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Raeann’s Tiger Eye dahlia is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001717\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Ask With Minnie dahlia is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dahlias can resemble water lilies, daisies, golf balls or spiky cacti. Some have multiple colors within a single petal. And because of their unusual genetics, new variations can arise through cloning and sexual reproduction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dahlia tubers can be divided into genetically identical plants, said Erik Gaensler, president of the Dahlia Society of California. But growing from seed produces something entirely new.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you plant 100 dahlia seeds, most won’t be that great,” Gaensler said. “So we have some people in our society who will grow hundreds of seedlings, and they only save the best.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001731\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jenna Kaiser, a dahlia ambassador with the Dahlia Society of California, poses for a photo at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-14 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001730\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy Lou, 70, takes a photo with dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1312\" data-id=\"2001721\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001721\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-768x504.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-1536x1008.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Addie Lee, 2, takes photos of dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those seedlings can be cultivated for years before eventually being named and entered into competitions. Many dahlias grown in San Francisco originated locally, Gaensler said, making them particularly well suited to the city’s climate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The flower’s history in San Francisco dates back more than a century. When the Sunset and Richmond districts were undeveloped and still largely dunes, dahlias could thrive in the sandy soil. By the 1920s, several commercial dahlia growers operated in the area, and the Palace Hotel hosted annual shows. In 1926, the city officially adopted the dahlia as its flower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Dietz, that history is part of what makes the flower special, but so is the scientific curiosity surrounding it. Dahlias have eight sets of chromosomes and genetic elements that can shift around within their DNA, occasionally producing new traits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001734\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sir Richard Dahlias are displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-15 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001732\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001732\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nathan Gomez makes petal art at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" data-id=\"2001720\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Natalie Samuels, left, and Abby Klinkenberg, right, admire dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of America has funded work to map the dahlia genome, Dietz said, which could help researchers better understand which genetic sequences determine traits such as shape and color.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That diversity was also what drew first-time visitors Natalie Samuels and Abby Klinkenberg to the weekend’s show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a chance to reorient ourselves and connect to the things around us,” Klinkenberg said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Samuels said the flowers encouraged her to slow down and observe each individually, a welcome contrast to the pace of modern San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can see the winning blooms on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfdahliasociety/\">Dahlia Society’s Instagram page\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s 21 forms of dahlias, there’s 15 official colors and there’s five different sizes,” she added. “And that’s just categories.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dahlias can resemble water lilies, daisies, golf balls or spiky cacti. Some have multiple colors within a single petal. And because of their unusual genetics, new variations can arise through cloning and sexual reproduction.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Dahlia tubers can be divided into genetically identical plants, said Erik Gaensler, president of the Dahlia Society of California. But growing from seed produces something entirely new.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you plant 100 dahlia seeds, most won’t be that great,” Gaensler said. “So we have some people in our society who will grow hundreds of seedlings, and they only save the best.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001730\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy Lou, 70, takes a photo with dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those seedlings can be cultivated for years before eventually being named and entered into competitions. Many dahlias grown in San Francisco originated locally, Gaensler said, making them particularly well suited to the city’s climate.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Those seedlings can be cultivated for years before eventually being named and entered into competitions. Many dahlias grown in San Francisco originated locally, Gaensler said, making them particularly well suited to the city’s climate.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The flower’s history in San Francisco dates back more than a century. When the Sunset and Richmond districts were undeveloped and still largely dunes, dahlias could thrive in the sandy soil. By the 1920s, several commercial dahlia growers operated in the area, and the Palace Hotel hosted annual shows. In 1926, the city officially adopted the dahlia as its flower.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The flower’s history in San Francisco dates back more than a century. When the Sunset and Richmond districts were undeveloped and still largely dunes, dahlias could thrive in the sandy soil. By the 1920s, several commercial dahlia growers operated in the area, and the Palace Hotel hosted annual shows. In 1926, the city officially adopted the dahlia as its flower.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Dietz, that history is part of what makes the flower special, but so is the scientific curiosity surrounding it. Dahlias have eight sets of chromosomes and genetic elements that can shift around within their DNA, occasionally producing new traits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Dietz, that history is part of what makes the flower special, but so is the scientific curiosity surrounding it. Dahlias have eight sets of chromosomes and genetic elements that can shift around within their DNA, occasionally producing new traits.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001734\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sir Richard Dahlias are displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001732\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nathan Gomez makes petal art at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001732\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nathan Gomez makes petal art at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001720\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Natalie Samuels, left, and Abby Klinkenberg, right, admire dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001720\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Natalie Samuels, left, and Abby Klinkenberg, right, admire dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of America has funded work to map the dahlia genome, Dietz said, which could help researchers better understand which genetic sequences determine traits such as shape and color.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That diversity was also what drew first-time visitors Natalie Samuels and Abby Klinkenberg to the weekend’s show.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a chance to reorient ourselves and connect to the things around us,” Klinkenberg said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Samuels said the flowers encouraged her to slow down and observe each individually, a welcome contrast to the pace of modern San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can see the winning blooms on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfdahliasociety/\">Dahlia Society’s Instagram page\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can see the winning blooms on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfdahliasociety/\">Dahlia Society’s Instagram page\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "This year’s theme was “San Francisco Icons,” with dahlia arrangements evoking the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, the Painted Ladies, Coit Tower and other city landmarks.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Hundreds of dahlias turned a corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco into a showcase of color, shape and genetic diversity this past weekend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of California’s annual show returned to the park, this time to mark the 100th anniversary of San Francisco naming the dahlia its official flower. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This year was themed “San Francisco Icons,” with dahlia arrangements evoking the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, the Painted Ladies, Coit Tower and other city landmarks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001729\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-18-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Single-bloom dahlias are displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-11 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001724\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001724\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marzieh Yaghini admires a dahlia at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001733\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-25-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Golden Gate Bridge dahlia arrangement is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Visitors wandered among rows of carefully cultivated blooms, many of them competing for ribbons and recognition from judges and, for attendees, simply offering a chance to slow down and look closely at a flower that can be surprisingly complex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One of the reasons we love San Francisco is because there’s so many different kinds of people here. And Dahlias are kind of the San Francisco of floral society,” said Deborah Dietz, corresponding secretary for the Dahlia Society and longtime volunteer in Golden Gate Park.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s 21 forms of dahlias, there’s 15 official colors and there’s five different sizes,” she added. “And that’s just categories.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-12 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001728\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-17-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Judges examine dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001727\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001727\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-16-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Members of the public enjoy the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-13 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001725\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001725\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Raeann’s Tiger Eye dahlia is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001717\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An Ask With Minnie dahlia is displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dahlias can resemble water lilies, daisies, golf balls or spiky cacti. Some have multiple colors within a single petal. And because of their unusual genetics, new variations can arise through cloning and sexual reproduction.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Dahlia tubers can be divided into genetically identical plants, said Erik Gaensler, president of the Dahlia Society of California. But growing from seed produces something entirely new.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you plant 100 dahlia seeds, most won’t be that great,” Gaensler said. “So we have some people in our society who will grow hundreds of seedlings, and they only save the best.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001731\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-22-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jenna Kaiser, a dahlia ambassador with the Dahlia Society of California, poses for a photo at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-14 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001730\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001730\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivy Lou, 70, takes a photo with dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1312\" data-id=\"2001721\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001721\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-768x504.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-8-KQED-1536x1008.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Addie Lee, 2, takes photos of dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those seedlings can be cultivated for years before eventually being named and entered into competitions. Many dahlias grown in San Francisco originated locally, Gaensler said, making them particularly well suited to the city’s climate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The flower’s history in San Francisco dates back more than a century. When the Sunset and Richmond districts were undeveloped and still largely dunes, dahlias could thrive in the sandy soil. By the 1920s, several commercial dahlia growers operated in the area, and the Palace Hotel hosted annual shows. In 1926, the city officially adopted the dahlia as its flower.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Dietz, that history is part of what makes the flower special, but so is the scientific curiosity surrounding it. Dahlias have eight sets of chromosomes and genetic elements that can shift around within their DNA, occasionally producing new traits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001734\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-26-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sir Richard Dahlias are displayed at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-15 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"2001732\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001732\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-24-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nathan Gomez makes petal art at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" data-id=\"2001720\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001720\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260815_SFDAHLIA_GC-6-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Natalie Samuels, left, and Abby Klinkenberg, right, admire dahlias at the annual Dahlia Show & Competition at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park on Aug. 15, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Dahlia Society of America has funded work to map the dahlia genome, Dietz said, which could help researchers better understand which genetic sequences determine traits such as shape and color.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That diversity was also what drew first-time visitors Natalie Samuels and Abby Klinkenberg to the weekend’s show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a chance to reorient ourselves and connect to the things around us,” Klinkenberg said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Samuels said the flowers encouraged her to slow down and observe each individually, a welcome contrast to the pace of modern San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can see the winning blooms on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sfdahliasociety/\">Dahlia Society’s Instagram page\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "californias-displaced-oil-and-gas-workers-fund-is-a-lifeline-now-advocates-say-its-time-to-expand",
"title": "California’s Displaced Oil and Gas Workers’ Fund Is a Lifeline. Now Advocates Say It’s Time to Expand",
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"headTitle": "California’s Displaced Oil and Gas Workers’ Fund Is a Lifeline. Now Advocates Say It’s Time to Expand | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Joe Villarreal spent his second day at Northwest Metrology honing a new skill: calibrating torque wrenches. The company’s Bakersfield headquarters is packed with pressure gauges, weights, and other specialized tools — all designed to ensure that everything from defibrillators to scales for weighing aircraft work without fail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have an extensive client list,” said owner Wayne Moule, who has been serving hospitals, refineries and aerospace companies for decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Moule has a hard time finding employees who are a good fit for the painstaking work.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People come in, give us resumes that look great,” Moule said, “but they just don’t have the work ethic. They don’t care about the accuracy. They say they calibrate a piece of equipment, and they don’t. And then I find out about it from a customer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001220\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The work is highly technical, requiring up to three years of training and the ability to read and follow 2-inch-thick manuals with detailed instructions for using each piece of equipment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Do you know how hard it is to get somebody to read a manual?” Moule said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the job was a good fit for Villarreal, a 55-year-old father of three who spent 30 years working in the oil and gas industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the early days of his career, he worked gritty, hands-on jobs in Bakersfield’s scorching hot oil fields, checking equipment for leaks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, he switched to the administrative side, working out of the sun. In his final job as an engineering technician, Villarreal applied for new drilling permits, kept records and filed reports. He was laid off last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The oil industry has always had its up and downs,” Villarreal said. “I’m not really sure what happened this time … I thought we were doing good, the oil industry, and just, it just changed overnight for me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Villarreal landed his new job at Northwest Metrology in May through a state program designed to mitigate the impact on oil and gas workers as California transitions away from fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program connected Villarreal with three case managers who invited him to weekly “job hubs” that featured presentations from employers looking to hire. With no experience in calibration, he was reluctant to apply for the job but decided, “I should at least go talk to them ’cause it don’t hurt.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 has accelerated the decline of the oil and gas industry, which employs an estimated 94,000 people in high-paying, often unionized jobs with benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since 2020, the closure or conversion of six refineries has eliminated roughly 2,000 jobs, dislodging highly skilled workers from decadeslong careers spent extracting and refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemicals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wayne Moule, Owner at Northwest Metrology, has utilized a program helping to employ displaced oil workers in new jobs in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund is California’s most tangible effort to help workers transition to comparable jobs in other industries. The $30 million fund, created through a state law in 2022, provides grants to local workforce development boards, unions, and other groups in the most affected areas of the state: Kern, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State records indicate the fund has helped more than 630 workers transition to new careers. And that could be an undercount, as grant recipients say they’ve helped closer to a thousand workers like Villarreal get training and find new jobs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even with its successes, proponents of the program say it’s falling short. They are urging the state to extend it beyond the current end date in 2027 and provide new benefits, including wage replacement during transitions, college credits for on-the-job experience and at least two years of financial support during apprenticeships.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some of the biggest job losses from the energy transition are expected in Bakersfield, where the oil and gas industry employs an estimated 6100 people, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-energy-workforce-needs-and-opportunities/\">report\u003c/a> from the Public Policy Institute of California. The nonprofit think tank predicts that 40% of those jobs are likely to disappear in the next decade or so and warns that the city’s small labor market provides few new opportunities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bakersfield office of the Kern and Inyo counties workforce development board received $11.3 million, the largest distribution from the state fund, and pledged to provide job search and placement services to 900 oil and gas workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the end of May, more than 650 eligible people enrolled and nearly 200 found new jobs, according to Susana Vasquez, program manager for Kern County’s Employer Training Resource.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eligible workers can receive $15,000 in state funding to pay for education, a certificate or licensing program, or on-the-job training. They can also get up to $2,500 for job-related costs, such as transportation, work clothes, tools or relocation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Convincing workers to accept help, though, is not always easy. Many in the industry view California’s turn away from fossil fuel as inconceivable, and they doubt the state’s promise that new jobs will offer comparable pay and benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001217\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila works with Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, as he navigates the next phase of his career in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One morning in late May, a dozen men gathered at the job center in Bakersfield, where they listened with a mixture of skepticism and guarded hope as job counselor Francisco Avila described why California employers want to hire former oil and gas workers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re looking for you,” Avila said. “Your experience, your knowledge, your skill set, they want to apply that to their industry.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anthony Strauss, 45, worked for years mixing chemical mud, which makes it easier to extract oil from wells. He lost his job in 2025 when the company he worked for moved to another state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ When I was first laid off, they [the employer] had told me about this program,” said Strauss, who has been out of work for nearly a year. “However, in my personal life, I had taken on some other opportunities that didn’t pan out as well as what they said that they would provide. So I came back here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The wake-up call\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The idea for the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund grew out of the abrupt 2020 closure of the Marathon Refinery in Contra Costa County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marathon gave employees just 60 days’ notice and prohibited them from transferring to their other refineries, according to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/fossil-fuel-layoff/\">report \u003c/a>by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company laid off over 750 workers, including 345 unionized staff who received only short-term severance. A year after the layoff, UC Labor Center surveyed the union workers and found nearly a third had taken early withdrawals from their retirement accounts to sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001218\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pamphlets and paperwork are seen at a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The United Steel Workers union, whose members comprise the majority of people employed by refineries in California, anticipated members would need help taking the next step. The union lobbied state lawmakers to establish the displaced workers fund, and created the California Oil and Refinery Workers Readiness Program, or CORP, to help members use the resources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We needed something that the members were gonna be able to grasp,” said Rosi Romo, program director for CORP.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CORP received $9 million of the new funds, enough to help at least 650 people, and recruited a handful of union members to act as navigators, who could help their coworkers consider their options and take action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Phillips 66 announced in October 2024 that it was closing its refineries in Carson and Wilmington, Romo said, “We were able to have them [navigators] on the ground talking to people, enrolling them, and so they were gaining momentum.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide, USW navigators have counseled 400 members, and by June, half of them were enrolled in courses paid for by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001215\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila leads a presentation and discussion with displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wilfredo Cruz, a 37-year-old industrial mechanic at the Phillips 66 Wilmington refinery, became a navigator. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I could help myself and my coworkers to be able to find something new or at least get some sort of training, so we can find our next job,” said Cruz, who had seen his dad become a respiratory therapist after getting laid off from a refinery job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many asked Cruz if they should get started while still on the job. He told them to start as early as possible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some union members transitioned to careers in radiology, wastewater treatment and as EMTS. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cruz enrolled in a cybersecurity program at UC San Diego while he worked at the refinery, listening to lectures while commuting. Though he was laid off in March 2026, months before he expected to complete his education, his wife works a good job, and they have been able to swing it so far.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, left, and Anthony Strauss, 45, right, listen to a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a navigator, Cruz heard his coworkers’ frustrations with the displaced workers’ program and its limitations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some who were working 12- to 16-hour days to wind down refinery operations did not have time for training programs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others who were sole breadwinners for their families faced a dilemma that forced them to consider a lower-paying job or one that doesn’t utilize their technical skills and knowledge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You kinda have to choose,” Cruz said. “Do I go to school? Or do I need a job now? It’s very hard to do both.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A lot of workers over the age of 55 took early retirement, Cruz said. The prospect of going back to school and starting in a brand new industry didn’t seem worth it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Laurie Wallace, another union navigator at the Wilmington refinery, has pressed state lawmakers to extend the lifetime of the fund to give oil and gas workers more time to transition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the 50-year-old process technician urged coworkers to take care of their medical check-ups and treatment before they lost their insurance, she did the same. That’s when her doctor told her she had breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I call it divine intervention,” Wallace said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Early detection allowed her to undergo treatment and make a full recovery. She returned to work to help shut down the refinery and counsel her colleagues. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said a lot of them were terrified about losing a career in an industry that had afforded them and their families a comfortable life.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Wallace said she had a different reaction to the closure. “I felt relieved,” she said, excited about the possibilities of working in another industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The refinery laid her off in April. She has since started to earn an associate’s degree and is thinking about becoming a grant writer or driving a forklift.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I always believe that when a door closes, a window opens,” Wallace said. “I just gotta figure out how to crawl through it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lessons from Marathon’s refinery closure \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Refinery workers in Contra Costa County have also benefited from the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Marathon closed its refinery there in 2020, existing benefits weren’t sufficient for laid-off employees, said Tamia Brown, executive director of the county’s workforce development board. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But by last year, when Valero announced it would close its Benicia refinery and lay off 282 nonunion employees, the county agency was ready to help with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.wdbccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Laid-Off-Oil-Gas-Workers-Program-2_Fact-Sheet_ADA-Compliant.pdf\">grant \u003c/a>of $4.3 million from the fund. They met with roughly 50 Valero workers by June.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000873\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brown expects that number to climb as severance and unemployment benefits dwindle. But she said people don’t have to wait until that happens to access benefits and other resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said the funds are a huge help but would be even more effective if they covered a longer transition, to allow people to pursue apprenticeships and degree programs, which can take at least two years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In order to get back to a comparable wage, a person may need to learn a new skill set or transfer to a different industry. That takes time,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Extending the benefits would cost the state more, Brown said, but she thinks it’s a worthwhile investment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the original $30 million in the fund, $18 million has yet to be spent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fund is due to sunset in July of 2027, but advocates are urging lawmakers to extend it, as tens of thousands more industry jobs face elimination over the next decade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ There’s folks in our system who have been displaced or know that they are going to be displaced and are going through training programs,” Brown said. “We need to be able to continue to support them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A bill to make the fund permanent is moving through the state legislature. At a hearing in April, the bill’s author, State Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, urged his colleagues to approve it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Providing support for these workers during their time of need should not be controversial. Simply put, it’s the right thing to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 450px; margin: 20px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-photo-laura-klivans-450x298@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"900\" height=\"596\" />\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\u003cem>From Laura Klivans, Climate Reporter at KQED:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">I know climate change is important to you. And it can feel overwhelming. This year, we want to empower the Bay Area to face our changing climate by bringing you stories about solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">If this story helped you today, please consider donating to support our work. It takes just a moment to make your tax-deductible donation, and your gift keeps articles like this from KQED accessible to everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX25\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Joe Villarreal spent his second day at Northwest Metrology honing a new skill: calibrating torque wrenches. The company’s Bakersfield headquarters is packed with pressure gauges, weights, and other specialized tools — all designed to ensure that everything from defibrillators to scales for weighing aircraft work without fail. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have an extensive client list,” said owner Wayne Moule, who has been serving hospitals, refineries and aerospace companies for decades.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People come in, give us resumes that look great,” Moule said, “but they just don’t have the work ethic. They don’t care about the accuracy. They say they calibrate a piece of equipment, and they don’t. And then I find out about it from a customer.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001220\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001220\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the job was a good fit for Villarreal, a 55-year-old father of three who spent 30 years working in the oil and gas industry.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the early days of his career, he worked gritty, hands-on jobs in Bakersfield’s scorching hot oil fields, checking equipment for leaks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later, he switched to the administrative side, working out of the sun. In his final job as an engineering technician, Villarreal applied for new drilling permits, kept records and filed reports. He was laid off last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001225\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The oil industry has always had its up and downs,” Villarreal said. “I’m not really sure what happened this time … I thought we were doing good, the oil industry, and just, it just changed overnight for me.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Villarreal landed his new job at Northwest Metrology in May through a state program designed to mitigate the impact on oil and gas workers as California transitions away from fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program connected Villarreal with three case managers who invited him to weekly “job hubs” that featured presentations from employers looking to hire. With no experience in calibration, he was reluctant to apply for the job but decided, “I should at least go talk to them ’cause it don’t hurt.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The program connected Villarreal with three case managers who invited him to weekly “job hubs” that featured presentations from employers looking to hire. With no experience in calibration, he was reluctant to apply for the job but decided, “I should at least go talk to them ’cause it don’t hurt.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 has accelerated the decline of the oil and gas industry, which employs an estimated 94,000 people in high-paying, often unionized jobs with benefits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 has accelerated the decline of the oil and gas industry, which employs an estimated 94,000 people in high-paying, often unionized jobs with benefits.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since 2020, the closure or conversion of six refineries has eliminated roughly 2,000 jobs, dislodging highly skilled workers from decadeslong careers spent extracting and refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemicals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since 2020, the closure or conversion of six refineries has eliminated roughly 2,000 jobs, dislodging highly skilled workers from decadeslong careers spent extracting and refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemicals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wayne Moule, Owner at Northwest Metrology, has utilized a program helping to employ displaced oil workers in new jobs in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001222\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wayne Moule, Owner at Northwest Metrology, has utilized a program helping to employ displaced oil workers in new jobs in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund is California’s most tangible effort to help workers transition to comparable jobs in other industries. The $30 million fund, created through a state law in 2022, provides grants to local workforce development boards, unions, and other groups in the most affected areas of the state: Kern, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund is California’s most tangible effort to help workers transition to comparable jobs in other industries. The $30 million fund, created through a state law in 2022, provides grants to local workforce development boards, unions, and other groups in the most affected areas of the state: Kern, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State records indicate the fund has helped more than 630 workers transition to new careers. And that could be an undercount, as grant recipients say they’ve helped closer to a thousand workers like Villarreal get training and find new jobs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State records indicate the fund has helped more than 630 workers transition to new careers. And that could be an undercount, as grant recipients say they’ve helped closer to a thousand workers like Villarreal get training and find new jobs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even with its successes, proponents of the program say it’s falling short. They are urging the state to extend it beyond the current end date in 2027 and provide new benefits, including wage replacement during transitions, college credits for on-the-job experience and at least two years of financial support during apprenticeships.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some of the biggest job losses from the energy transition are expected in Bakersfield, where the oil and gas industry employs an estimated 6100 people, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-energy-workforce-needs-and-opportunities/\">report\u003c/a> from the Public Policy Institute of California. The nonprofit think tank predicts that 40% of those jobs are likely to disappear in the next decade or so and warns that the city’s small labor market provides few new opportunities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bakersfield office of the Kern and Inyo counties workforce development board received $11.3 million, the largest distribution from the state fund, and pledged to provide job search and placement services to 900 oil and gas workers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Bakersfield office of the Kern and Inyo counties workforce development board received $11.3 million, the largest distribution from the state fund, and pledged to provide job search and placement services to 900 oil and gas workers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By the end of May, more than 650 eligible people enrolled and nearly 200 found new jobs, according to Susana Vasquez, program manager for Kern County’s Employer Training Resource.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By the end of May, more than 650 eligible people enrolled and nearly 200 found new jobs, according to Susana Vasquez, program manager for Kern County’s Employer Training Resource.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Eligible workers can receive $15,000 in state funding to pay for education, a certificate or licensing program, or on-the-job training. They can also get up to $2,500 for job-related costs, such as transportation, work clothes, tools or relocation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Eligible workers can receive $15,000 in state funding to pay for education, a certificate or licensing program, or on-the-job training. They can also get up to $2,500 for job-related costs, such as transportation, work clothes, tools or relocation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Convincing workers to accept help, though, is not always easy. Many in the industry view California’s turn away from fossil fuel as inconceivable, and they doubt the state’s promise that new jobs will offer comparable pay and benefits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Convincing workers to accept help, though, is not always easy. Many in the industry view California’s turn away from fossil fuel as inconceivable, and they doubt the state’s promise that new jobs will offer comparable pay and benefits.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001217\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila works with Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, as he navigates the next phase of his career in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One morning in late May, a dozen men gathered at the job center in Bakersfield, where they listened with a mixture of skepticism and guarded hope as job counselor Francisco Avila described why California employers want to hire former oil and gas workers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They’re looking for you,” Avila said. “Your experience, your knowledge, your skill set, they want to apply that to their industry.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Anthony Strauss, 45, worked for years mixing chemical mud, which makes it easier to extract oil from wells. He lost his job in 2025 when the company he worked for moved to another state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ When I was first laid off, they [the employer] had told me about this program,” said Strauss, who has been out of work for nearly a year. “However, in my personal life, I had taken on some other opportunities that didn’t pan out as well as what they said that they would provide. So I came back here.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The idea for the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund grew out of the abrupt 2020 closure of the Marathon Refinery in Contra Costa County.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Marathon gave employees just 60 days’ notice and prohibited them from transferring to their other refineries, according to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/fossil-fuel-layoff/\">report \u003c/a>by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The company laid off over 750 workers, including 345 unionized staff who received only short-term severance. A year after the layoff, UC Labor Center surveyed the union workers and found nearly a third had taken early withdrawals from their retirement accounts to sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The United Steel Workers union, whose members comprise the majority of people employed by refineries in California, anticipated members would need help taking the next step. The union lobbied state lawmakers to establish the displaced workers fund, and created the California Oil and Refinery Workers Readiness Program, or CORP, to help members use the resources.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>CORP received $9 million of the new funds, enough to help at least 650 people, and recruited a handful of union members to act as navigators, who could help their coworkers consider their options and take action. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Phillips 66 announced in October 2024 that it was closing its refineries in Carson and Wilmington, Romo said, “We were able to have them [navigators] on the ground talking to people, enrolling them, and so they were gaining momentum.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Statewide, USW navigators have counseled 400 members, and by June, half of them were enrolled in courses paid for by the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wilfredo Cruz, a 37-year-old industrial mechanic at the Phillips 66 Wilmington refinery, became a navigator. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cruz enrolled in a cybersecurity program at UC San Diego while he worked at the refinery, listening to lectures while commuting. Though he was laid off in March 2026, months before he expected to complete his education, his wife works a good job, and they have been able to swing it so far.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, left, and Anthony Strauss, 45, right, listen to a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some who were working 12- to 16-hour days to wind down refinery operations did not have time for training programs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You kinda have to choose,” Cruz said. “Do I go to school? Or do I need a job now? It’s very hard to do both.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A lot of workers over the age of 55 took early retirement, Cruz said. The prospect of going back to school and starting in a brand new industry didn’t seem worth it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Laurie Wallace, another union navigator at the Wilmington refinery, has pressed state lawmakers to extend the lifetime of the fund to give oil and gas workers more time to transition. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the 50-year-old process technician urged coworkers to take care of their medical check-ups and treatment before they lost their insurance, she did the same. That’s when her doctor told her she had breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I call it divine intervention,” Wallace said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said a lot of them were terrified about losing a career in an industry that had afforded them and their families a comfortable life.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Wallace said she had a different reaction to the closure. “I felt relieved,” she said, excited about the possibilities of working in another industry.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The refinery laid her off in April. She has since started to earn an associate’s degree and is thinking about becoming a grant writer or driving a forklift.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I always believe that when a door closes, a window opens,” Wallace said. “I just gotta figure out how to crawl through it.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Lessons from Marathon’s refinery closure ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lessons from Marathon’s refinery closure \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Refinery workers in Contra Costa County have also benefited from the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When Marathon closed its refinery there in 2020, existing benefits weren’t sufficient for laid-off employees, said Tamia Brown, executive director of the county’s workforce development board. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But by last year, when Valero announced it would close its Benicia refinery and lay off 282 nonunion employees, the county agency was ready to help with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.wdbccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Laid-Off-Oil-Gas-Workers-Program-2_Fact-Sheet_ADA-Compliant.pdf\">grant \u003c/a>of $4.3 million from the fund. They met with roughly 50 Valero workers by June.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But by last year, when Valero announced it would close its Benicia refinery and lay off 282 nonunion employees, the county agency was ready to help with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.wdbccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Laid-Off-Oil-Gas-Workers-Program-2_Fact-Sheet_ADA-Compliant.pdf\">grant \u003c/a>of $4.3 million from the fund. They met with roughly 50 Valero workers by June.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brown expects that number to climb as severance and unemployment benefits dwindle. But she said people don’t have to wait until that happens to access benefits and other resources. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said the funds are a huge help but would be even more effective if they covered a longer transition, to allow people to pursue apprenticeships and degree programs, which can take at least two years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Extending the benefits would cost the state more, Brown said, but she thinks it’s a worthwhile investment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of the original $30 million in the fund, $18 million has yet to be spent.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The fund is due to sunset in July of 2027, but advocates are urging lawmakers to extend it, as tens of thousands more industry jobs face elimination over the next decade.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“ There’s folks in our system who have been displaced or know that they are going to be displaced and are going through training programs,” Brown said. “We need to be able to continue to support them.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A bill to make the fund permanent is moving through the state legislature. At a hearing in April, the bill’s author, State Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, urged his colleagues to approve it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A bill to make the fund permanent is moving through the state legislature. At a hearing in April, the bill’s author, State Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, urged his colleagues to approve it. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Providing support for these workers during their time of need should not be controversial. Simply put, it’s the right thing to do.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 450px; margin: 20px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-photo-laura-klivans-450x298@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"900\" height=\"596\" />\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\u003cem>From Laura Klivans, Climate Reporter at KQED:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">I know climate change is important to you. And it can feel overwhelming. This year, we want to empower the Bay Area to face our changing climate by bringing you stories about solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">If this story helped you today, please consider donating to support our work. It takes just a moment to make your tax-deductible donation, and your gift keeps articles like this from KQED accessible to everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX25\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n",
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"\n\u003cimg class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 450px; margin: 20px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-photo-laura-klivans-450x298@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"900\" height=\"596\" />\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\u003cem>From Laura Klivans, Climate Reporter at KQED:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">I know climate change is important to you. And it can feel overwhelming. This year, we want to empower the Bay Area to face our changing climate by bringing you stories about solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">If this story helped you today, please consider donating to support our work. It takes just a moment to make your tax-deductible donation, and your gift keeps articles like this from KQED accessible to everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX25\">\u003cimg class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n"
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"excerpt": "With more industry closures looming, labor leaders are urging lawmakers to expand the safety net that has helped more than 600 workers transition to new careers. ",
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"title": "California’s Displaced Oil and Gas Workers’ Fund Is a Lifeline. Now Advocates Say It’s Time to Expand | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of KQED’s series “Flipping the Switch,” examining California’s transition to clean energy and what it means for you. Find the series and more of our climate coverage \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/climate\">\u003cem>here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Joe Villarreal spent his second day at Northwest Metrology honing a new skill: calibrating torque wrenches. The company’s Bakersfield headquarters is packed with pressure gauges, weights, and other specialized tools — all designed to ensure that everything from defibrillators to scales for weighing aircraft work without fail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have an extensive client list,” said owner Wayne Moule, who has been serving hospitals, refineries and aerospace companies for decades.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Moule has a hard time finding employees who are a good fit for the painstaking work.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People come in, give us resumes that look great,” Moule said, “but they just don’t have the work ethic. They don’t care about the accuracy. They say they calibrate a piece of equipment, and they don’t. And then I find out about it from a customer.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001220\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9173-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The work is highly technical, requiring up to three years of training and the ability to read and follow 2-inch-thick manuals with detailed instructions for using each piece of equipment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Do you know how hard it is to get somebody to read a manual?” Moule said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the job was a good fit for Villarreal, a 55-year-old father of three who spent 30 years working in the oil and gas industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the early days of his career, he worked gritty, hands-on jobs in Bakersfield’s scorching hot oil fields, checking equipment for leaks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later, he switched to the administrative side, working out of the sun. In his final job as an engineering technician, Villarreal applied for new drilling permits, kept records and filed reports. He was laid off last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001225\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9441-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Villarreal’s second day in his new job at Northwest Metrology in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. Villarreal was displaced as an oil worker and got connected to a program helping oil workers find new careers. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The oil industry has always had its up and downs,” Villarreal said. “I’m not really sure what happened this time … I thought we were doing good, the oil industry, and just, it just changed overnight for me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Villarreal landed his new job at Northwest Metrology in May through a state program designed to mitigate the impact on oil and gas workers as California transitions away from fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program connected Villarreal with three case managers who invited him to weekly “job hubs” that featured presentations from employers looking to hire. With no experience in calibration, he was reluctant to apply for the job but decided, “I should at least go talk to them ’cause it don’t hurt.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 has accelerated the decline of the oil and gas industry, which employs an estimated 94,000 people in high-paying, often unionized jobs with benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since 2020, the closure or conversion of six refineries has eliminated roughly 2,000 jobs, dislodging highly skilled workers from decadeslong careers spent extracting and refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemicals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001222\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9275-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wayne Moule, Owner at Northwest Metrology, has utilized a program helping to employ displaced oil workers in new jobs in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund is California’s most tangible effort to help workers transition to comparable jobs in other industries. The $30 million fund, created through a state law in 2022, provides grants to local workforce development boards, unions, and other groups in the most affected areas of the state: Kern, Contra Costa and Los Angeles counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State records indicate the fund has helped more than 630 workers transition to new careers. And that could be an undercount, as grant recipients say they’ve helped closer to a thousand workers like Villarreal get training and find new jobs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even with its successes, proponents of the program say it’s falling short. They are urging the state to extend it beyond the current end date in 2027 and provide new benefits, including wage replacement during transitions, college credits for on-the-job experience and at least two years of financial support during apprenticeships.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some of the biggest job losses from the energy transition are expected in Bakersfield, where the oil and gas industry employs an estimated 6100 people, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-energy-workforce-needs-and-opportunities/\">report\u003c/a> from the Public Policy Institute of California. The nonprofit think tank predicts that 40% of those jobs are likely to disappear in the next decade or so and warns that the city’s small labor market provides few new opportunities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bakersfield office of the Kern and Inyo counties workforce development board received $11.3 million, the largest distribution from the state fund, and pledged to provide job search and placement services to 900 oil and gas workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By the end of May, more than 650 eligible people enrolled and nearly 200 found new jobs, according to Susana Vasquez, program manager for Kern County’s Employer Training Resource.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eligible workers can receive $15,000 in state funding to pay for education, a certificate or licensing program, or on-the-job training. They can also get up to $2,500 for job-related costs, such as transportation, work clothes, tools or relocation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Convincing workers to accept help, though, is not always easy. Many in the industry view California’s turn away from fossil fuel as inconceivable, and they doubt the state’s promise that new jobs will offer comparable pay and benefits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001217\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0726-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila works with Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, as he navigates the next phase of his career in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One morning in late May, a dozen men gathered at the job center in Bakersfield, where they listened with a mixture of skepticism and guarded hope as job counselor Francisco Avila described why California employers want to hire former oil and gas workers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They’re looking for you,” Avila said. “Your experience, your knowledge, your skill set, they want to apply that to their industry.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Anthony Strauss, 45, worked for years mixing chemical mud, which makes it easier to extract oil from wells. He lost his job in 2025 when the company he worked for moved to another state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ When I was first laid off, they [the employer] had told me about this program,” said Strauss, who has been out of work for nearly a year. “However, in my personal life, I had taken on some other opportunities that didn’t pan out as well as what they said that they would provide. So I came back here.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The wake-up call\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The idea for the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund grew out of the abrupt 2020 closure of the Marathon Refinery in Contra Costa County.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marathon gave employees just 60 days’ notice and prohibited them from transferring to their other refineries, according to a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/fossil-fuel-layoff/\">report \u003c/a>by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company laid off over 750 workers, including 345 unionized staff who received only short-term severance. A year after the layoff, UC Labor Center surveyed the union workers and found nearly a third had taken early withdrawals from their retirement accounts to sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001218\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_9005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pamphlets and paperwork are seen at a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The United Steel Workers union, whose members comprise the majority of people employed by refineries in California, anticipated members would need help taking the next step. The union lobbied state lawmakers to establish the displaced workers fund, and created the California Oil and Refinery Workers Readiness Program, or CORP, to help members use the resources.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We needed something that the members were gonna be able to grasp,” said Rosi Romo, program director for CORP.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>CORP received $9 million of the new funds, enough to help at least 650 people, and recruited a handful of union members to act as navigators, who could help their coworkers consider their options and take action. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Phillips 66 announced in October 2024 that it was closing its refineries in Carson and Wilmington, Romo said, “We were able to have them [navigators] on the ground talking to people, enrolling them, and so they were gaining momentum.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide, USW navigators have counseled 400 members, and by June, half of them were enrolled in courses paid for by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001215\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0609-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Career Planner Francisco J. Avila leads a presentation and discussion with displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wilfredo Cruz, a 37-year-old industrial mechanic at the Phillips 66 Wilmington refinery, became a navigator. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I could help myself and my coworkers to be able to find something new or at least get some sort of training, so we can find our next job,” said Cruz, who had seen his dad become a respiratory therapist after getting laid off from a refinery job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many asked Cruz if they should get started while still on the job. He told them to start as early as possible. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some union members transitioned to careers in radiology, wastewater treatment and as EMTS. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cruz enrolled in a cybersecurity program at UC San Diego while he worked at the refinery, listening to lectures while commuting. Though he was laid off in March 2026, months before he expected to complete his education, his wife works a good job, and they have been able to swing it so far.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001216\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/052726_DISPLACEDOIL_0672-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jose Vicente Arroyo, 58, left, and Anthony Strauss, 45, right, listen to a presentation for displaced oil workers as they navigate the next phase of their careers in Bakersfield on May 27, 2026. (Lauren Justice for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a navigator, Cruz heard his coworkers’ frustrations with the displaced workers’ program and its limitations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some who were working 12- to 16-hour days to wind down refinery operations did not have time for training programs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others who were sole breadwinners for their families faced a dilemma that forced them to consider a lower-paying job or one that doesn’t utilize their technical skills and knowledge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You kinda have to choose,” Cruz said. “Do I go to school? Or do I need a job now? It’s very hard to do both.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A lot of workers over the age of 55 took early retirement, Cruz said. The prospect of going back to school and starting in a brand new industry didn’t seem worth it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Laurie Wallace, another union navigator at the Wilmington refinery, has pressed state lawmakers to extend the lifetime of the fund to give oil and gas workers more time to transition. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the 50-year-old process technician urged coworkers to take care of their medical check-ups and treatment before they lost their insurance, she did the same. That’s when her doctor told her she had breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I call it divine intervention,” Wallace said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Early detection allowed her to undergo treatment and make a full recovery. She returned to work to help shut down the refinery and counsel her colleagues. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said a lot of them were terrified about losing a career in an industry that had afforded them and their families a comfortable life.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Wallace said she had a different reaction to the closure. “I felt relieved,” she said, excited about the possibilities of working in another industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The refinery laid her off in April. She has since started to earn an associate’s degree and is thinking about becoming a grant writer or driving a forklift.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I always believe that when a door closes, a window opens,” Wallace said. “I just gotta figure out how to crawl through it.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lessons from Marathon’s refinery closure \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Refinery workers in Contra Costa County have also benefited from the Displaced Oil and Gas Workers Fund.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When Marathon closed its refinery there in 2020, existing benefits weren’t sufficient for laid-off employees, said Tamia Brown, executive director of the county’s workforce development board. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But by last year, when Valero announced it would close its Benicia refinery and lay off 282 nonunion employees, the county agency was ready to help with a \u003ca href=\"https://www.wdbccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Laid-Off-Oil-Gas-Workers-Program-2_Fact-Sheet_ADA-Compliant.pdf\">grant \u003c/a>of $4.3 million from the fund. They met with roughly 50 Valero workers by June.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2000873\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/04/230921-VALERO-BENICIA-REFINERY-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Valero refinery in Benicia on Sept. 21, 2023. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brown expects that number to climb as severance and unemployment benefits dwindle. But she said people don’t have to wait until that happens to access benefits and other resources. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said the funds are a huge help but would be even more effective if they covered a longer transition, to allow people to pursue apprenticeships and degree programs, which can take at least two years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In order to get back to a comparable wage, a person may need to learn a new skill set or transfer to a different industry. That takes time,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Extending the benefits would cost the state more, Brown said, but she thinks it’s a worthwhile investment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the original $30 million in the fund, $18 million has yet to be spent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fund is due to sunset in July of 2027, but advocates are urging lawmakers to extend it, as tens of thousands more industry jobs face elimination over the next decade.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ There’s folks in our system who have been displaced or know that they are going to be displaced and are going through training programs,” Brown said. “We need to be able to continue to support them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A bill to make the fund permanent is moving through the state legislature. At a hearing in April, the bill’s author, State Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, urged his colleagues to approve it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Providing support for these workers during their time of need should not be controversial. Simply put, it’s the right thing to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium aligncenter\" style=\"width: 450px; margin: 20px auto 40px;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-photo-laura-klivans-450x298@2x.jpg\" alt=\"Your support makes this work possible.\" width=\"900\" height=\"596\" />\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\u003cem>From Laura Klivans, Climate Reporter at KQED:\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">I know climate change is important to you. And it can feel overwhelming. This year, we want to empower the Bay Area to face our changing climate by bringing you stories about solutions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 110%; margin-bottom: 1em;\">If this story helped you today, please consider donating to support our work. It takes just a moment to make your tax-deductible donation, and your gift keeps articles like this from KQED accessible to everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003ca href=\"https://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX25\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"width: 272px; margin: 40px auto;\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/KQED-membership-support-kqed-journalism-272x57@2x.png\" alt=\"Button: Support KQED journalism\" width=\"544\" height=\"114\" />\u003c/a>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "this-tiny-oyster-once-thrived-in-california-now-scientists-are-bringing-it-back",
"title": "This Tiny Oyster Once Thrived in California. Now, Scientists Are Bringing It Back",
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"headTitle": "This Tiny Oyster Once Thrived in California. Now, Scientists Are Bringing It Back | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>On a cool July morning, the scent of burning sage drifted across Elkhorn Slough as a quiet circle of more than a dozen volunteers and conservationists, including \u003ca href=\"https://amahmutsun.org/\">Amah Mutsun Tribal Band\u003c/a> members, introduced themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They passed around the smoldering bundle in an Indigenous ritual of cleansing and renewal, known as smudging.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Afterward, the group set out on a 20-minute trek to Oak Marsh, passing by a great blue heron, rabbits, patches of blooming yellow lupine, following a boardwalk that extends over mudflats at low tide. There, laid out on folding tables, were recycled clamshells studded with tiny \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11713665/can-scientists-save-californias-only-native-oysters-new-technique-shows-promise\">Olympia oysters\u003c/a> — the only native oyster on the West Coast of North America.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hatchery-raised baby oysters growing atop clamshells sit in a bucket prior to being reintroduced to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group’s task was straightforward: measure each oyster, record its size and secure the shells to biodegradable stakes to carry to a nearby gravel bar. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once abundant along the West Coast, Olympia oysters formed reefs that filtered water for eelgrass, sheltered marine life like shrimp, crab, worms and juvenile fish and sustained Indigenous communities for thousands of years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Humans used to touch the oysters at this exact spot on low tides for millennia,” said Kerstin Wasson, research coordinator at \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/\">Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, those reefs have nearly disappeared. Scientists, conservation groups and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are working together to bring them back to Elkhorn Slough.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For at least 7,000 years, Indigenous peoples harvested Olympia oysters in Elkhorn Slough. By the 1920s, commercial harvesting, altered tidal flows and agricultural runoff drove the population into collapse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Levees and agricultural runoff leave parts of the estuary covered in thick mud, where young oysters struggle to survive, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jasmine Castro stakes clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them into the mud in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Amah Mutsun Tribal Band member Esak Ordoñez, the gathering was about much more than restoring shellfish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a special feeling to be able to come out here surrounded by our elders, our tribal community and friends to relearn this ancient practice of stewardship,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Olympia oysters are functionally extinct across much of California, existing only in scattered individuals rather than dense reefs. As of 2018, fewer than 1,000 oysters remained at Elkhorn Slough, putting the population on the brink of disappearance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bringing back a reef\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, Wasson and others at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve have worked to reverse that decline. Over the past decade, the effort has grown into a partnership with the \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/\">Amah Mutsun Land Trust\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/\">California Sea Grant\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://mlml.sjsu.edu/\">Moss Landing Marine Laboratories\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.org/en-us/\">The Nature Conservancy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The restoration strategy tackles two challenges at once.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, researchers are rebuilding oyster numbers through \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/research/olympia-oysters-coastwide/\">conservation aquaculture\u003c/a>. At Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, scientists spawn local Olympia oysters in hatcheries, raising juveniles before transplanting them into the estuary, much like growing native plants in a greenhouse before restoring a prairie.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As the tide comes in, Native Stewardship Corps members and tribal elders sing a blessing after helping to reintroduce baby oysters to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hatchery-raised oysters are grown until they’re about the size of a dime, then transplanted into the estuary during the summer, when survival rates are much higher. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scientists are also experimenting with where to place oysters along the shoreline, said Luke Gardner, research faculty and California Sea Grant aquaculture specialist at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a bit of a balance to find that optimum,” Gardner said. Oysters higher in the intertidal zone avoid competitors that can smother them but spend more time exposed to air, making them vulnerable during extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Climate change is another factor to consider. Gardner pointed to the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 “heat dome,” when extreme heat and unusually low tides exposed oysters to the sun, causing \u003ca href=\"https://environment.uw.edu/news/2022/06/new-study-2021-heat-wave-created-perfect-storm-for-shellfish-die-off/\">catastrophic die-offs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The second challenge is rebuilding the habitat itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During this summer’s restoration event, volunteers attached hatchery-raised oysters growing on recycled clam shells, many left behind by hungry sea otters, to biodegradable stakes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then they placed them on a gravel bar, mimicking how natural oyster reefs form. Wasson called the larvae “gregarious settlers.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“They like to settle where there’s existing oysters,” Wasson said. “By putting these out, we should be attracting more settlement to the area. It’s sort of a two-for-one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Colonization transformed the estuary through levees, altered waterways and polluted runoff while simultaneously disrupting thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both,” Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Oysters are a really important pathway to build community and recover the tribe’s relationship with the landscape more broadly,” said Jacob Harris, coastal and oceans stewardship program manager at Amah Mutsun Land Trust. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Native Stewardship Corps member Esak Ordoñez Garcia (center) prepares clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them to be placed in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Through the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/native-stewardship-corps\">Native Stewardship Corps\u003c/a>, Tribal members train in aquaculture, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Ordoñez, the restoration is also about relearning how people once cared for the landscape. “Back then, our human presence worked with nature,” he said. “Now we’re impeding on nature.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Phoebe Racine, estuarine project director at The Nature Conservancy, said the project reflects a broader effort to restore Indigenous stewardship throughout California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As an indigenous person, it’s important for me to better steward the lands I live on,” Racine said. “Having tribal stewardship expand throughout California is critical to restoration work.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Signs of recovery\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since conservation aquaculture began in 2018, researchers have released hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised oysters into Elkhorn Slough. Scientists are now finding \u003ca href=\"https://library.elkhornslough.org/attachments/Harris_2024_Experiments_In_Conservation_Aquaculture.pdf\">increasing numbers of wild juvenile oysters settling naturally\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to see more wild recruitment. And we think that is a direct result of our intervention, which is just amazing,” Gardner said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The long-term goal is ambitious: to rebuild the estuary to 10 million oysters, enough to create self-sustaining reefs that can withstand changing environmental conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabeth Rodriguez (center left) and Kerstin Wasson (center right) count the hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on a clamshell prior to placing the shell in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every reef creates a habitat for hundreds of small marine organisms that can make the entire estuary more resilient. But the biggest challenge is helping Californians recognize what has been lost, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because native oyster reefs disappeared long before most people alive today were born, few realize California once had thriving oyster reefs in its own backyard, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wasson calls it “generational amnesia,” which she first read about in an \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25588455/\">Australian paper on oyster reefs\u003c/a>. It’s the idea that people can’t miss an ecosystem that they never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After volunteers finished placing the oysters into the mud, everyone gathered on the boardwalk overlooking the estuary, while tribe members led the group in a traditional Indigenous song to honor and offer thanks to the Creator.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the tide slowly crept back over the gravel bar, the tiny oysters disappeared beneath the water. If enough survive, they’ll grow into clusters that attract the next generation of larvae, eventually building reefs that can sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“About 7,500 hatchery-raised oysters got their first taste of estuary water today,” Wasson said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Afterward, the group set out on a 20-minute trek to Oak Marsh, passing by a great blue heron, rabbits, patches of blooming yellow lupine, following a boardwalk that extends over mudflats at low tide. There, laid out on folding tables, were recycled clamshells studded with tiny \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11713665/can-scientists-save-californias-only-native-oysters-new-technique-shows-promise\">Olympia oysters\u003c/a> — the only native oyster on the West Coast of North America.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hatchery-raised baby oysters growing atop clamshells sit in a bucket prior to being reintroduced to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once abundant along the West Coast, Olympia oysters formed reefs that filtered water for eelgrass, sheltered marine life like shrimp, crab, worms and juvenile fish and sustained Indigenous communities for thousands of years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Humans used to touch the oysters at this exact spot on low tides for millennia,” said Kerstin Wasson, research coordinator at \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/\">Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Today, those reefs have nearly disappeared. Scientists, conservation groups and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are working together to bring them back to Elkhorn Slough.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For at least 7,000 years, Indigenous peoples harvested Olympia oysters in Elkhorn Slough. By the 1920s, commercial harvesting, altered tidal flows and agricultural runoff drove the population into collapse.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Levees and agricultural runoff leave parts of the estuary covered in thick mud, where young oysters struggle to survive, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a special feeling to be able to come out here surrounded by our elders, our tribal community and friends to relearn this ancient practice of stewardship,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Olympia oysters are functionally extinct across much of California, existing only in scattered individuals rather than dense reefs. As of 2018, fewer than 1,000 oysters remained at Elkhorn Slough, putting the population on the brink of disappearance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Olympia oysters are functionally extinct across much of California, existing only in scattered individuals rather than dense reefs. As of 2018, fewer than 1,000 oysters remained at Elkhorn Slough, putting the population on the brink of disappearance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Bringing back a reef",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bringing back a reef\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, Wasson and others at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve have worked to reverse that decline. Over the past decade, the effort has grown into a partnership with the \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/\">Amah Mutsun Land Trust\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/\">California Sea Grant\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://mlml.sjsu.edu/\">Moss Landing Marine Laboratories\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.org/en-us/\">The Nature Conservancy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, Wasson and others at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve have worked to reverse that decline. Over the past decade, the effort has grown into a partnership with the \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/\">Amah Mutsun Land Trust\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/\">California Sea Grant\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://mlml.sjsu.edu/\">Moss Landing Marine Laboratories\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.org/en-us/\">The Nature Conservancy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The restoration strategy tackles two challenges at once.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The restoration strategy tackles two challenges at once.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>First, researchers are rebuilding oyster numbers through \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/research/olympia-oysters-coastwide/\">conservation aquaculture\u003c/a>. At Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, scientists spawn local Olympia oysters in hatcheries, raising juveniles before transplanting them into the estuary, much like growing native plants in a greenhouse before restoring a prairie.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>First, researchers are rebuilding oyster numbers through \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/research/olympia-oysters-coastwide/\">conservation aquaculture\u003c/a>. At Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, scientists spawn local Olympia oysters in hatcheries, raising juveniles before transplanting them into the estuary, much like growing native plants in a greenhouse before restoring a prairie.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As the tide comes in, Native Stewardship Corps members and tribal elders sing a blessing after helping to reintroduce baby oysters to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001417\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As the tide comes in, Native Stewardship Corps members and tribal elders sing a blessing after helping to reintroduce baby oysters to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hatchery-raised oysters are grown until they’re about the size of a dime, then transplanted into the estuary during the summer, when survival rates are much higher. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hatchery-raised oysters are grown until they’re about the size of a dime, then transplanted into the estuary during the summer, when survival rates are much higher. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Scientists are also experimenting with where to place oysters along the shoreline, said Luke Gardner, research faculty and California Sea Grant aquaculture specialist at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Scientists are also experimenting with where to place oysters along the shoreline, said Luke Gardner, research faculty and California Sea Grant aquaculture specialist at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a bit of a balance to find that optimum,” Gardner said. Oysters higher in the intertidal zone avoid competitors that can smother them but spend more time exposed to air, making them vulnerable during extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a bit of a balance to find that optimum,” Gardner said. Oysters higher in the intertidal zone avoid competitors that can smother them but spend more time exposed to air, making them vulnerable during extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Climate change is another factor to consider. Gardner pointed to the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 “heat dome,” when extreme heat and unusually low tides exposed oysters to the sun, causing \u003ca href=\"https://environment.uw.edu/news/2022/06/new-study-2021-heat-wave-created-perfect-storm-for-shellfish-die-off/\">catastrophic die-offs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Climate change is another factor to consider. Gardner pointed to the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 “heat dome,” when extreme heat and unusually low tides exposed oysters to the sun, causing \u003ca href=\"https://environment.uw.edu/news/2022/06/new-study-2021-heat-wave-created-perfect-storm-for-shellfish-die-off/\">catastrophic die-offs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The second challenge is rebuilding the habitat itself.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The second challenge is rebuilding the habitat itself.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During this summer’s restoration event, volunteers attached hatchery-raised oysters growing on recycled clam shells, many left behind by hungry sea otters, to biodegradable stakes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During this summer’s restoration event, volunteers attached hatchery-raised oysters growing on recycled clam shells, many left behind by hungry sea otters, to biodegradable stakes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then they placed them on a gravel bar, mimicking how natural oyster reefs form. Wasson called the larvae “gregarious settlers.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“They like to settle where there’s existing oysters,” Wasson said. “By putting these out, we should be attracting more settlement to the area. It’s sort of a two-for-one.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Then they placed them on a gravel bar, mimicking how natural oyster reefs form. Wasson called the larvae “gregarious settlers.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“They like to settle where there’s existing oysters,” Wasson said. “By putting these out, we should be attracting more settlement to the area. It’s sort of a two-for-one.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Colonization transformed the estuary through levees, altered waterways and polluted runoff while simultaneously disrupting thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Colonization transformed the estuary through levees, altered waterways and polluted runoff while simultaneously disrupting thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both,” Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both,” Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Oysters are a really important pathway to build community and recover the tribe’s relationship with the landscape more broadly,” said Jacob Harris, coastal and oceans stewardship program manager at Amah Mutsun Land Trust. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Oysters are a really important pathway to build community and recover the tribe’s relationship with the landscape more broadly,” said Jacob Harris, coastal and oceans stewardship program manager at Amah Mutsun Land Trust. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Native Stewardship Corps member Esak Ordoñez Garcia (center) prepares clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them to be placed in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001414\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Native Stewardship Corps member Esak Ordoñez Garcia (center) prepares clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them to be placed in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Through the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/native-stewardship-corps\">Native Stewardship Corps\u003c/a>, Tribal members train in aquaculture, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and more. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Through the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/native-stewardship-corps\">Native Stewardship Corps\u003c/a>, Tribal members train in aquaculture, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and more. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For Ordoñez, the restoration is also about relearning how people once cared for the landscape. “Back then, our human presence worked with nature,” he said. “Now we’re impeding on nature.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For Ordoñez, the restoration is also about relearning how people once cared for the landscape. “Back then, our human presence worked with nature,” he said. “Now we’re impeding on nature.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Phoebe Racine, estuarine project director at The Nature Conservancy, said the project reflects a broader effort to restore Indigenous stewardship throughout California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As an indigenous person, it’s important for me to better steward the lands I live on,” Racine said. “Having tribal stewardship expand throughout California is critical to restoration work.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“As an indigenous person, it’s important for me to better steward the lands I live on,” Racine said. “Having tribal stewardship expand throughout California is critical to restoration work.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Signs of recovery",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Signs of recovery\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since conservation aquaculture began in 2018, researchers have released hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised oysters into Elkhorn Slough. Scientists are now finding \u003ca href=\"https://library.elkhornslough.org/attachments/Harris_2024_Experiments_In_Conservation_Aquaculture.pdf\">increasing numbers of wild juvenile oysters settling naturally\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since conservation aquaculture began in 2018, researchers have released hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised oysters into Elkhorn Slough. Scientists are now finding \u003ca href=\"https://library.elkhornslough.org/attachments/Harris_2024_Experiments_In_Conservation_Aquaculture.pdf\">increasing numbers of wild juvenile oysters settling naturally\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to see more wild recruitment. And we think that is a direct result of our intervention, which is just amazing,” Gardner said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to see more wild recruitment. And we think that is a direct result of our intervention, which is just amazing,” Gardner said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The long-term goal is ambitious: to rebuild the estuary to 10 million oysters, enough to create self-sustaining reefs that can withstand changing environmental conditions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The long-term goal is ambitious: to rebuild the estuary to 10 million oysters, enough to create self-sustaining reefs that can withstand changing environmental conditions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabeth Rodriguez (center left) and Kerstin Wasson (center right) count the hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on a clamshell prior to placing the shell in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001412\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabeth Rodriguez (center left) and Kerstin Wasson (center right) count the hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on a clamshell prior to placing the shell in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Every reef creates a habitat for hundreds of small marine organisms that can make the entire estuary more resilient. But the biggest challenge is helping Californians recognize what has been lost, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Every reef creates a habitat for hundreds of small marine organisms that can make the entire estuary more resilient. But the biggest challenge is helping Californians recognize what has been lost, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Because native oyster reefs disappeared long before most people alive today were born, few realize California once had thriving oyster reefs in its own backyard, she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Because native oyster reefs disappeared long before most people alive today were born, few realize California once had thriving oyster reefs in its own backyard, she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wasson calls it “generational amnesia,” which she first read about in an \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25588455/\">Australian paper on oyster reefs\u003c/a>. It’s the idea that people can’t miss an ecosystem that they never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wasson calls it “generational amnesia,” which she first read about in an \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25588455/\">Australian paper on oyster reefs\u003c/a>. It’s the idea that people can’t miss an ecosystem that they never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After volunteers finished placing the oysters into the mud, everyone gathered on the boardwalk overlooking the estuary, while tribe members led the group in a traditional Indigenous song to honor and offer thanks to the Creator.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the tide slowly crept back over the gravel bar, the tiny oysters disappeared beneath the water. If enough survive, they’ll grow into clusters that attract the next generation of larvae, eventually building reefs that can sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Researchers at Elkhorn Slough are using hatcheries, habitat restoration and Indigenous stewardship to help bring back the state’s only native oyster and the ecosystem it supports.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On a cool July morning, the scent of burning sage drifted across Elkhorn Slough as a quiet circle of more than a dozen volunteers and conservationists, including \u003ca href=\"https://amahmutsun.org/\">Amah Mutsun Tribal Band\u003c/a> members, introduced themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They passed around the smoldering bundle in an Indigenous ritual of cleansing and renewal, known as smudging.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Afterward, the group set out on a 20-minute trek to Oak Marsh, passing by a great blue heron, rabbits, patches of blooming yellow lupine, following a boardwalk that extends over mudflats at low tide. There, laid out on folding tables, were recycled clamshells studded with tiny \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11713665/can-scientists-save-californias-only-native-oysters-new-technique-shows-promise\">Olympia oysters\u003c/a> — the only native oyster on the West Coast of North America.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001411\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hatchery-raised baby oysters growing atop clamshells sit in a bucket prior to being reintroduced to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The group’s task was straightforward: measure each oyster, record its size and secure the shells to biodegradable stakes to carry to a nearby gravel bar. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once abundant along the West Coast, Olympia oysters formed reefs that filtered water for eelgrass, sheltered marine life like shrimp, crab, worms and juvenile fish and sustained Indigenous communities for thousands of years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Humans used to touch the oysters at this exact spot on low tides for millennia,” said Kerstin Wasson, research coordinator at \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/\">Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, those reefs have nearly disappeared. Scientists, conservation groups and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band are working together to bring them back to Elkhorn Slough.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For at least 7,000 years, Indigenous peoples harvested Olympia oysters in Elkhorn Slough. By the 1920s, commercial harvesting, altered tidal flows and agricultural runoff drove the population into collapse.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Levees and agricultural runoff leave parts of the estuary covered in thick mud, where young oysters struggle to survive, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001415\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jasmine Castro stakes clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them into the mud in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Amah Mutsun Tribal Band member Esak Ordoñez, the gathering was about much more than restoring shellfish.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a special feeling to be able to come out here surrounded by our elders, our tribal community and friends to relearn this ancient practice of stewardship,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Olympia oysters are functionally extinct across much of California, existing only in scattered individuals rather than dense reefs. As of 2018, fewer than 1,000 oysters remained at Elkhorn Slough, putting the population on the brink of disappearance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bringing back a reef\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, Wasson and others at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve have worked to reverse that decline. Over the past decade, the effort has grown into a partnership with the \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/\">Amah Mutsun Land Trust\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/\">California Sea Grant\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://mlml.sjsu.edu/\">Moss Landing Marine Laboratories\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.nature.org/en-us/\">The Nature Conservancy\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The restoration strategy tackles two challenges at once.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, researchers are rebuilding oyster numbers through \u003ca href=\"https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/research/olympia-oysters-coastwide/\">conservation aquaculture\u003c/a>. At Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, scientists spawn local Olympia oysters in hatcheries, raising juveniles before transplanting them into the estuary, much like growing native plants in a greenhouse before restoring a prairie.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001417\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-17-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As the tide comes in, Native Stewardship Corps members and tribal elders sing a blessing after helping to reintroduce baby oysters to Elkhorn Slough on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hatchery-raised oysters are grown until they’re about the size of a dime, then transplanted into the estuary during the summer, when survival rates are much higher. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scientists are also experimenting with where to place oysters along the shoreline, said Luke Gardner, research faculty and California Sea Grant aquaculture specialist at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a bit of a balance to find that optimum,” Gardner said. Oysters higher in the intertidal zone avoid competitors that can smother them but spend more time exposed to air, making them vulnerable during extreme heat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Climate change is another factor to consider. Gardner pointed to the Pacific Northwest’s 2021 “heat dome,” when extreme heat and unusually low tides exposed oysters to the sun, causing \u003ca href=\"https://environment.uw.edu/news/2022/06/new-study-2021-heat-wave-created-perfect-storm-for-shellfish-die-off/\">catastrophic die-offs\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The second challenge is rebuilding the habitat itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During this summer’s restoration event, volunteers attached hatchery-raised oysters growing on recycled clam shells, many left behind by hungry sea otters, to biodegradable stakes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then they placed them on a gravel bar, mimicking how natural oyster reefs form. Wasson called the larvae “gregarious settlers.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“They like to settle where there’s existing oysters,” Wasson said. “By putting these out, we should be attracting more settlement to the area. It’s sort of a two-for-one.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Colonization transformed the estuary through levees, altered waterways and polluted runoff while simultaneously disrupting thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re trying to recover the oysters and the people both,” Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Oysters are a really important pathway to build community and recover the tribe’s relationship with the landscape more broadly,” said Jacob Harris, coastal and oceans stewardship program manager at Amah Mutsun Land Trust. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001414\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-11-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Native Stewardship Corps member Esak Ordoñez Garcia (center) prepares clamshells with hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on them to be placed in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Through the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s \u003ca href=\"https://amlt.org/native-stewardship-corps\">Native Stewardship Corps\u003c/a>, Tribal members train in aquaculture, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration and more. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For Ordoñez, the restoration is also about relearning how people once cared for the landscape. “Back then, our human presence worked with nature,” he said. “Now we’re impeding on nature.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Phoebe Racine, estuarine project director at The Nature Conservancy, said the project reflects a broader effort to restore Indigenous stewardship throughout California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As an indigenous person, it’s important for me to better steward the lands I live on,” Racine said. “Having tribal stewardship expand throughout California is critical to restoration work.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Signs of recovery\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since conservation aquaculture began in 2018, researchers have released hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised oysters into Elkhorn Slough. Scientists are now finding \u003ca href=\"https://library.elkhornslough.org/attachments/Harris_2024_Experiments_In_Conservation_Aquaculture.pdf\">increasing numbers of wild juvenile oysters settling naturally\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re starting to see more wild recruitment. And we think that is a direct result of our intervention, which is just amazing,” Gardner said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The long-term goal is ambitious: to rebuild the estuary to 10 million oysters, enough to create self-sustaining reefs that can withstand changing environmental conditions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001412\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/07/260701-NATIVE-OYSTER-RESTORATION-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabeth Rodriguez (center left) and Kerstin Wasson (center right) count the hatchery-raised baby oysters growing on a clamshell prior to placing the shell in Elkhorn Slough in an effort to reintroduce the oysters to the ecosystem on July 1, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every reef creates a habitat for hundreds of small marine organisms that can make the entire estuary more resilient. But the biggest challenge is helping Californians recognize what has been lost, Wasson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because native oyster reefs disappeared long before most people alive today were born, few realize California once had thriving oyster reefs in its own backyard, she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wasson calls it “generational amnesia,” which she first read about in an \u003ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25588455/\">Australian paper on oyster reefs\u003c/a>. It’s the idea that people can’t miss an ecosystem that they never knew existed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After volunteers finished placing the oysters into the mud, everyone gathered on the boardwalk overlooking the estuary, while tribe members led the group in a traditional Indigenous song to honor and offer thanks to the Creator.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the tide slowly crept back over the gravel bar, the tiny oysters disappeared beneath the water. If enough survive, they’ll grow into clusters that attract the next generation of larvae, eventually building reefs that can sustain themselves.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“About 7,500 hatchery-raised oysters got their first taste of estuary water today,” Wasson said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997603/a-corpse-flower-is-about-to-bloom-in-san-francisco-and-its-going-to-stink\">A rare plant\u003c/a> famous for smelling like decaying flesh is about to put on one of nature’s most unusual shows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scarlet, the famous corpse flower at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers, is expected to bloom any day now, unleashing one of nature’s strangest spectacles: a towering flower that smells like rotting flesh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Bay Area residents are eagerly awaiting it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These blooms are really short-lived,” said Brandi Eide, curator and conservation lead at the Gardens of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/golden-gate-park\">Golden Gate Park.\u003c/a> “They’re only typically open for about two days. So it’s pretty ephemeral.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That slim window is part of what makes a corpse flower bloom so momentous. The endangered plant, officially known as Amorphophallus titanum, or titan arum, can spend years quietly storing energy underground before suddenly erupting into a flowering event that lasts just between 24 and 48 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycUNj_Hv4_Y\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To attract carrion beetles and flesh flies, the plant releases chemicals that mimic a dead animal. The unsuspecting insects arrive expecting a meal and instead end up pollinating the flower.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scent is so convincing that Eide said it evolves throughout the evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Eide, it starts with “a little bit of a funk like onion, garlic,” before the stench begins to resemble a “hot garbage truck in the summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then it can change into pretty distinctly dead rodent,” Eide continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other observers have detected notes of stinky feet, spoiled food and sewage. Every bloom brings a different odor.[aside postID=news_12074947 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260221-SUNNYSIDECONSERVATORY00252_TV-KQED.jpg']“If you’ve never seen or smelled it, it’s really something not to be missed,” Eide said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most years, the plant doesn’t flower at all. Instead, it produces a single giant leaf that can grow up to 15 feet tall, resembling a small tree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every once in a while, instead of a leaf, we have a flowering event, which is what we’re witnessing today,” Eide said. “The whole process is always very exciting because it’s so unpredictable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The species is native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, where it is currently endangered due to habitat loss, particularly from the expansion of palm oil plantations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During peak bloom, the central stalk, known as the spadix, actually heats up to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit through a process called thermogenesis. That heat helps carry the stench farther into the surrounding environment, making it easier for pollinators to detect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The temperature fluctuation helps pump the stinky chemicals out into the forest to attract those pollinators from far away,” Eide said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the final days before opening, the flower’s growth slows, the base swells and the deep burgundy spathe begins to unfurl from the central stalk. This week, staff have been closely monitoring those signs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re actually sending pictures back and forth to each other as we speak,” Eide said. “We’re still on watch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001374\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-1536x1021.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Corpse flowers are the largest and most “pungent inflorescence,” a term used to describe a cluster of flowers. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Destiny Padilla/Gardens of Golden Gate)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Once the bloom begins, visitors will only have a narrow window to catch it at its smelliest. The strongest odor usually arrives during the first evening and lingers into the next morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, the Conservatory has created a special “maximum stink hour” for members during the final hour of the first night’s extended opening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bloom is expected to draw large crowds. During previous corpse flower events, roughly 7,000 people visited over just a few days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyone hoping to experience Scarlet’s stench should keep a close eye on the Conservatory’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/conservatoryofflowers/\">Instagram\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/ConservatoryofFlowers/\">Facebook\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/corpseflower/\">website\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/corpseflower/\">livestream\u003c/a>. Once blooming is confirmed, the Conservatory will activate extended evening hours and release timed-entry tickets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Scarlet, the famous corpse flower at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers, is expected to bloom any day now. Here’s how to experience the stinky bloom in person or at home.",
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"title": "This Corpse Flower Smells Like Death and People Love It | KQED",
"description": "Scarlet, the famous corpse flower at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers, is expected to bloom any day now. Here’s how to experience the stinky bloom in person or at home.",
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"headline": "This Corpse Flower Smells Like Death and People Love It",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997603/a-corpse-flower-is-about-to-bloom-in-san-francisco-and-its-going-to-stink\">A rare plant\u003c/a> famous for smelling like decaying flesh is about to put on one of nature’s most unusual shows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scarlet, the famous corpse flower at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers, is expected to bloom any day now, unleashing one of nature’s strangest spectacles: a towering flower that smells like rotting flesh.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Bay Area residents are eagerly awaiting it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These blooms are really short-lived,” said Brandi Eide, curator and conservation lead at the Gardens of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/golden-gate-park\">Golden Gate Park.\u003c/a> “They’re only typically open for about two days. So it’s pretty ephemeral.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That slim window is part of what makes a corpse flower bloom so momentous. The endangered plant, officially known as Amorphophallus titanum, or titan arum, can spend years quietly storing energy underground before suddenly erupting into a flowering event that lasts just between 24 and 48 hours.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/ycUNj_Hv4_Y'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/ycUNj_Hv4_Y'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>To attract carrion beetles and flesh flies, the plant releases chemicals that mimic a dead animal. The unsuspecting insects arrive expecting a meal and instead end up pollinating the flower.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The scent is so convincing that Eide said it evolves throughout the evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Eide, it starts with “a little bit of a funk like onion, garlic,” before the stench begins to resemble a “hot garbage truck in the summer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then it can change into pretty distinctly dead rodent,” Eide continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other observers have detected notes of stinky feet, spoiled food and sewage. Every bloom brings a different odor.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“If you’ve never seen or smelled it, it’s really something not to be missed,” Eide said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most years, the plant doesn’t flower at all. Instead, it produces a single giant leaf that can grow up to 15 feet tall, resembling a small tree.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every once in a while, instead of a leaf, we have a flowering event, which is what we’re witnessing today,” Eide said. “The whole process is always very exciting because it’s so unpredictable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The species is native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, where it is currently endangered due to habitat loss, particularly from the expansion of palm oil plantations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During peak bloom, the central stalk, known as the spadix, actually heats up to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit through a process called thermogenesis. That heat helps carry the stench farther into the surrounding environment, making it easier for pollinators to detect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The temperature fluctuation helps pump the stinky chemicals out into the forest to attract those pollinators from far away,” Eide said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the final days before opening, the flower’s growth slows, the base swells and the deep burgundy spathe begins to unfurl from the central stalk. This week, staff have been closely monitoring those signs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re actually sending pictures back and forth to each other as we speak,” Eide said. “We’re still on watch.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001374\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001374\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/CorpseFlower2026_2-1536x1021.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Corpse flowers are the largest and most “pungent inflorescence,” a term used to describe a cluster of flowers. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Destiny Padilla/Gardens of Golden Gate)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Once the bloom begins, visitors will only have a narrow window to catch it at its smelliest. The strongest odor usually arrives during the first evening and lingers into the next morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, the Conservatory has created a special “maximum stink hour” for members during the final hour of the first night’s extended opening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bloom is expected to draw large crowds. During previous corpse flower events, roughly 7,000 people visited over just a few days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Anyone hoping to experience Scarlet’s stench should keep a close eye on the Conservatory’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/conservatoryofflowers/\">Instagram\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/ConservatoryofFlowers/\">Facebook\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/corpseflower/\">website\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://gggp.org/corpseflower/\">livestream\u003c/a>. Once blooming is confirmed, the Conservatory will activate extended evening hours and release timed-entry tickets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"source": "American Public Media"
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"masters-of-scale": {
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},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"onourwatch": {
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"on-the-media": {
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"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
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},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
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"order": 14
},
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"planet-money": {
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
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},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
},
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
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"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
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