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"content": "\n\u003cp>Researchers at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a> have seen for the first time starving, struggling corals return to colorful, vibrant life within a matter of weeks by being placed in contact with healthy clones, genetically identical copies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This was shocking, stunning,” said Danny Collins, lead author of a study \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.aeh1580\">published Monday\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> “We were blown away [to] actually watch the healthy coral restore the color of the bleached corals essentially right before our eyes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Color returned within days, with full recovery occurring in just seven weeks — the fastest documented recovery to date. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was so much faster and more intense than we ever expected,” said Collins, a Ph.D. student at the \u003ca href=\"https://sustainability.stanford.edu/\">Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1451\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8-768x557.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8-1536x1114.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lead author Danny Collins is a Ph.D. student at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. (Courtesy of Dan Griffin/GG Films)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The results, seen in aquarium-sourced corals in a laboratory setting at the \u003ca href=\"https://hopkinsmarinestation.stanford.edu/\">Hopkins Marine Station\u003c/a> in Monterey County, could lead to faster and more complete recovery for wild corals suffering bleaching.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When ocean waters warm too fast, corals — a type of animal known to researchers as “cnidarians” — kick out helpful algae that live within their cells. This can kill the coral. Bleaching intensifies as the planet warms, threatening reefs around the globe.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Reefs are critical habitats, making up just 0.01% of the ocean floor; they support \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/decoding-coral-reefs\">a quarter of all marine life\u003c/a>. They help economies thrive and protect against flooding and coastal erosion. The Coral Reef Alliance predicts within the next 30 years that \u003ca href=\"https://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/global-threats/\">90% of reefs\u003c/a> will experience severe annual bleaching. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The exciting thing about this work, Collins said, “is the demonstration that these bleached corals are not a lost cause, but actually have a remarkable potential to be recovered.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A serendipitous mishap leads to discovery\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers knew that corals could become sick by touching objects holding dangerous bacteria. Last year, Collins looked at how corals catch disease when plastic waste settles on them. The plastic can harbor disease-causing bacteria and infect the coral.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We were curious if we could harness that mechanism of contact, but instead of introducing bad guys that could cause disease, we could introduce good guys,” Collins said, “such as these beneficial algae that [healthy] corals harbor.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, Steve Palumbi, a professor in marine sciences at Stanford and study coauthor, saw in his lab that a sample colony had tipped over in a tank so that a healthy coral and a bleached one were touching each other. Where they touched, color returned to the sick coral.\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=\"2420\" data-id=\"2002334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2-160x194.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2-768x929.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2-1269x1536.jpg 1269w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2-1693x2048.jpg 1693w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A vibrant and healthy coral colony stands next to its starving identical twin. Corals are animals living symbiotically with photosynthetic algae in their tissues. When a coral is stressed by high heat, they expel these algae in a response known as bleaching. (Courtesy of Dan Griffin/GG Films)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1978\" height=\"2560\" data-id=\"2002333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-scaled.jpg 1978w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-1187x1536.jpg 1187w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-1583x2048.jpg 1583w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1978px) 100vw, 1978px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A healthy coral colony creates a nutrient bridge by fusing tissue with a bleached clone. Stanford researchers saw the fastest recorded coral recovery yet documented using this technique to revive bleached corals. (Courtesy of Dan Griffin/GG Films)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So they tested it with other samples and were delighted with the results. The corals fused together, creating a nutrient bridge made of tissue, allowing the healthy individual to send over the life-giving, helpful algae.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And within just a few weeks you get complete recovery,” Collins said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They found the corals did not need to touch the entire time; just a brief period was needed, and the sick coral could quickly take it from there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Next steps already underway\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Creating genetic coral clones and placing them in contact with bleached twins isn’t a feasible recovery route for wild coral; it would take too much work to create a genetically identical, healthy copy of every coral in advance of a bleaching event. But the research does point the way forward for other restoration approaches.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The key finding is that these bleached corals have remarkable capacity for rapid recovery that was not fully appreciated,” Collins said. “And that if you can get healthy algae into those bleached coral by any means necessary, they can recover at incredible rates.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scientists have documented bleached corals recovering in the field. But the process can take years, and many corals never recover or never recover fully. He’s excited to try a new avenue that is unexplored: “We hope these inspire a new set of interventions for coral reef restoration for recovering bleached corals.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and colleagues are now at work finding ways to extract algae, replicate them in a lab, and spread them to bleached corals. He hopes to test the method at field sites in Hawaii and Palau in the coming months to years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When ocean waters warm too fast, corals — a type of animal known to researchers as “cnidarians” — kick out helpful algae that live within their cells. This can kill the coral. Bleaching intensifies as the planet warms, threatening reefs around the globe.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Reefs are critical habitats, making up just 0.01% of the ocean floor; they support \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/decoding-coral-reefs\">a quarter of all marine life\u003c/a>. They help economies thrive and protect against flooding and coastal erosion. The Coral Reef Alliance predicts within the next 30 years that \u003ca href=\"https://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/global-threats/\">90% of reefs\u003c/a> will experience severe annual bleaching. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Researchers knew that corals could become sick by touching objects holding dangerous bacteria. Last year, Collins looked at how corals catch disease when plastic waste settles on them. The plastic can harbor disease-causing bacteria and infect the coral.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We were curious if we could harness that mechanism of contact, but instead of introducing bad guys that could cause disease, we could introduce good guys,” Collins said, “such as these beneficial algae that [healthy] corals harbor.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around the same time, Steve Palumbi, a professor in marine sciences at Stanford and study coauthor, saw in his lab that a sample colony had tipped over in a tank so that a healthy coral and a bleached one were touching each other. Where they touched, color returned to the sick coral.\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/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002334\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A vibrant and healthy coral colony stands next to its starving identical twin. Corals are animals living symbiotically with photosynthetic algae in their tissues. When a coral is stressed by high heat, they expel these algae in a response known as bleaching.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So they tested it with other samples and were delighted with the results. The corals fused together, creating a nutrient bridge made of tissue, allowing the healthy individual to send over the life-giving, helpful algae.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And within just a few weeks you get complete recovery,” Collins said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They found the corals did not need to touch the entire time; just a brief period was needed, and the sick coral could quickly take it from there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Creating genetic coral clones and placing them in contact with bleached twins isn’t a feasible recovery route for wild coral; it would take too much work to create a genetically identical, healthy copy of every coral in advance of a bleaching event. But the research does point the way forward for other restoration approaches.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Creating genetic coral clones and placing them in contact with bleached twins isn’t a feasible recovery route for wild coral; it would take too much work to create a genetically identical, healthy copy of every coral in advance of a bleaching event. But the research does point the way forward for other restoration approaches.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The key finding is that these bleached corals have remarkable capacity for rapid recovery that was not fully appreciated,” Collins said. “And that if you can get healthy algae into those bleached coral by any means necessary, they can recover at incredible rates.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Scientists have documented bleached corals recovering in the field. But the process can take years, and many corals never recover or never recover fully. He’s excited to try a new avenue that is unexplored: “We hope these inspire a new set of interventions for coral reef restoration for recovering bleached corals.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He and colleagues are now at work finding ways to extract algae, replicate them in a lab, and spread them to bleached corals. He hopes to test the method at field sites in Hawaii and Palau in the coming months to years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Bleached corals have a remarkable ability to recover when put in contact with a healthy clone and beneficial algae, Bay Area researchers announced in a study published Monday.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Researchers at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/stanford-university\">Stanford University\u003c/a> have seen for the first time starving, struggling corals return to colorful, vibrant life within a matter of weeks by being placed in contact with healthy clones, genetically identical copies.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This was shocking, stunning,” said Danny Collins, lead author of a study \u003ca href=\"https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.aeh1580\">published Monday\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> “We were blown away [to] actually watch the healthy coral restore the color of the bleached corals essentially right before our eyes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Color returned within days, with full recovery occurring in just seven weeks — the fastest documented recovery to date. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was so much faster and more intense than we ever expected,” said Collins, a Ph.D. student at the \u003ca href=\"https://sustainability.stanford.edu/\">Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1451\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002332\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8-160x116.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8-768x557.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral2-f688e9d8-1536x1114.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lead author Danny Collins is a Ph.D. student at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. (Courtesy of Dan Griffin/GG Films)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The results, seen in aquarium-sourced corals in a laboratory setting at the \u003ca href=\"https://hopkinsmarinestation.stanford.edu/\">Hopkins Marine Station\u003c/a> in Monterey County, could lead to faster and more complete recovery for wild corals suffering bleaching.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When ocean waters warm too fast, corals — a type of animal known to researchers as “cnidarians” — kick out helpful algae that live within their cells. This can kill the coral. Bleaching intensifies as the planet warms, threatening reefs around the globe.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Reefs are critical habitats, making up just 0.01% of the ocean floor; they support \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/decoding-coral-reefs\">a quarter of all marine life\u003c/a>. They help economies thrive and protect against flooding and coastal erosion. The Coral Reef Alliance predicts within the next 30 years that \u003ca href=\"https://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/global-threats/\">90% of reefs\u003c/a> will experience severe annual bleaching. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The exciting thing about this work, Collins said, “is the demonstration that these bleached corals are not a lost cause, but actually have a remarkable potential to be recovered.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A serendipitous mishap leads to discovery\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Researchers knew that corals could become sick by touching objects holding dangerous bacteria. Last year, Collins looked at how corals catch disease when plastic waste settles on them. The plastic can harbor disease-causing bacteria and infect the coral.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We were curious if we could harness that mechanism of contact, but instead of introducing bad guys that could cause disease, we could introduce good guys,” Collins said, “such as these beneficial algae that [healthy] corals harbor.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, Steve Palumbi, a professor in marine sciences at Stanford and study coauthor, saw in his lab that a sample colony had tipped over in a tank so that a healthy coral and a bleached one were touching each other. Where they touched, color returned to the sick coral.\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=\"2420\" data-id=\"2002334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2-160x194.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2-768x929.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2-1269x1536.jpg 1269w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral4-0f8e49b2-1693x2048.jpg 1693w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A vibrant and healthy coral colony stands next to its starving identical twin. Corals are animals living symbiotically with photosynthetic algae in their tissues. When a coral is stressed by high heat, they expel these algae in a response known as bleaching. (Courtesy of Dan Griffin/GG Films)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1978\" height=\"2560\" data-id=\"2002333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-scaled.jpg 1978w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-160x207.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-768x994.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-1187x1536.jpg 1187w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/BleachedCoral3-cdf79013-1583x2048.jpg 1583w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1978px) 100vw, 1978px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A healthy coral colony creates a nutrient bridge by fusing tissue with a bleached clone. Stanford researchers saw the fastest recorded coral recovery yet documented using this technique to revive bleached corals. (Courtesy of Dan Griffin/GG Films)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So they tested it with other samples and were delighted with the results. The corals fused together, creating a nutrient bridge made of tissue, allowing the healthy individual to send over the life-giving, helpful algae.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And within just a few weeks you get complete recovery,” Collins said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They found the corals did not need to touch the entire time; just a brief period was needed, and the sick coral could quickly take it from there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Next steps already underway\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Creating genetic coral clones and placing them in contact with bleached twins isn’t a feasible recovery route for wild coral; it would take too much work to create a genetically identical, healthy copy of every coral in advance of a bleaching event. But the research does point the way forward for other restoration approaches.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The key finding is that these bleached corals have remarkable capacity for rapid recovery that was not fully appreciated,” Collins said. “And that if you can get healthy algae into those bleached coral by any means necessary, they can recover at incredible rates.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Scientists have documented bleached corals recovering in the field. But the process can take years, and many corals never recover or never recover fully. He’s excited to try a new avenue that is unexplored: “We hope these inspire a new set of interventions for coral reef restoration for recovering bleached corals.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and colleagues are now at work finding ways to extract algae, replicate them in a lab, and spread them to bleached corals. He hopes to test the method at field sites in Hawaii and Palau in the coming months to years.\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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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What exactly is Jane Kim proposing?\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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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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"\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\"/>\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg 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=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\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. \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/35/2024/09/AP24253126507105-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1994224\"/>\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. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Noah Berger/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\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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"\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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"text": "Caution, skepticism, some curiosity, too",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caution, skepticism, some curiosity, too \u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caution, skepticism, some curiosity, too \u003c/h2>\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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"\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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"\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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"\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\"/>\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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\"/>\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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"\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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"\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\"/>\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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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"\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\"/>\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\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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"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",
"description": "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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"headline": "‘A Potential Catastrophe’: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Prepares for Super El Niño",
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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",
"publishDate": 1791580483,
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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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"innerHTML": "\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",
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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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"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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"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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"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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"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\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.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\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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"title": "This Weekend, an El Niño-Driven ‘Kelvin Wave’ Will Raise Bay Area Sea Levels and Flooding Risk | KQED",
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"headline": "This Weekend, an El Niño-Driven ‘Kelvin Wave’ Will Raise Bay Area Sea Levels and Flooding Risk",
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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>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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"\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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"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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"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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"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\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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"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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"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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"\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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"\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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"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",
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"headline": "San Francisco’s Next District 10 Supervisor Will Inherit a Toxic Legacy",
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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": "commercial-gas-kitchens-expose-workers-to-a-soup-of-pollution-high-heat",
"title": "Commercial Gas Kitchens Expose Workers to a ‘Soup of Pollution,’ High Heat",
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"headTitle": "Commercial Gas Kitchens Expose Workers to a ‘Soup of Pollution,’ High Heat | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Commercial kitchens outfitted with gas-fired appliances can reach temperatures as hot as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/california\">California’s\u003c/a> Death Valley in the summer and expose workers to harmful gases in excess of health-based guidelines, according to a first-of-its-kind \u003ca href=\"https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae9d96\">study\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Commercial kitchens where workers cook with all-electric appliances, on the other hand, were much cooler and did not exceed any health guidelines for pollution exposure, the study found.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The study authors said the research is the first U.S. analysis to compare air quality and heat between gas-burning commercial kitchens and all-electric ones under real-world working conditions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ In the majority of gas-fired kitchens we measured, the pollution levels exceeded health benchmarks for hours on end,” said Yannai Kashtan, air quality scientist at the nonprofit research institute PSE Healthy Energy, and the study’s first author.\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 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>The research was published Tuesday in the journal \u003ca href=\"https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326\">\u003cem>Environmental Research Letters\u003c/em>\u003c/a> by scientists at Stanford University, New York University and PSE Healthy Energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashtan’s team measured nitrogen dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and air temperature in 21 gas kitchens, three propane kitchens and three all-electric kitchens across California, Pennsylvania and New York. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sampled kitchens included both fine-dining and casual restaurants, catering facilities and institutions serving senior living communities and schools. The researchers measured kitchen air quality with specialized sensors, and tracked gas concentrations and temperature when the spaces were both in service and not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In about 70% of the gas-fired restaurants sampled, nitrogen dioxide concentrations during work hours exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization one-hour exposure guidelines, the study found. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Exposure to high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide can contribute to the development of asthma and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, according to the EPA. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The study also found concentrations of carbon monoxide and benzene, a known carcinogen, in concentrations exceeding California’s 1-hour exposure guideline in three and five gas-fired kitchens, respectively. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three electric kitchens had levels of pollution “pretty close to background levels,” according to Kashtan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not zero, but not much higher than you would be breathing just walking around,” Kashtan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashtan said he was surprised to find that roughly two-thirds of gas-powered kitchens measured had higher levels of pollution when they weren’t in service, something he attributed to ventilation fans not operating while the pilot lights of gas ranges continued to sputter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That means cleaning crews or early arriving staff might be exposed to some of the highest levels of pollution, before the kitchen begins service and cooks turn on ventilation fans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One concrete, actionable thing that anybody can do is turn on the ventilation the minute you walk into the kitchen in the morning to flush out everything that’s built up overnight, and that’s going to keep you from breathing in this soup of pollution,” Kashtan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Restaurants with pilot lights could switch to more modern equipment that uses electronic spark ignition to prevent overnight pollution, said Theresa Pistochini, associate director of the Western Cooling Efficiency Center, although she acknowledged that could be expensive.\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-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001893\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, explains how her team uses the Aeris analyzers to measure 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\u003cp>“While there is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2002089/heres-what-all-electric-bay-area-restaurants-have-learned-from-ditching-gas\">debate in the restaurant industry\u003c/a> about whether all-electric cooking can meet the needs of chefs with specific cooking practices, it is safe to say that there is no tangible benefit to pilot lights,” Pistochini said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Industry trade groups like the California Restaurant Association have opposed local governments’ attempts to establish electrification mandates. The group successfully challenged the city of Berkeley’s 2019 ban on natural gas hookups in new construction. The CRA has argued that restaurants would not be able to produce the same quality food with electric appliances as with gas ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1995336/heres-what-happened-when-scientists-tested-the-air-with-my-gas-stove-on\">previous studies\u003c/a> have established a link between cooking with gas appliances and increased indoor air pollution in residential settings, commercial kitchens have received much less attention, according to Rob Jackson, professor of earth system science at Stanford University, and a study co-author.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our study shows that burning gas in a restaurant kitchen is as suspect as burning it in our homes,” Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Death Valley in the summer’ \u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>Kitchens with gas-fired appliances were also substantially hotter than their electric counterparts. The study found that the temperature in a majority of gas kitchens, 68%, exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with four exceeding 122 degrees, according to measurements taken just outside a main vent hood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s Death Valley in the summer,” Kashtan said. “It’s a very extreme environment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of the electric restaurants had the lowest peak temperatures recorded, although the study acknowledged this had “low statistical power” based on the small sample size. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The findings of the study, that using electric appliances instead of gas ones reduces exposure to heat and harmful vapors, “generally align with expectations,” according to Pistochini.\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-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, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds a thermocouple logger which measures the temperature on ovens, at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Pistochini noted there was a high variability in gas exposure, something she attributed to differences in cooking practices and the effectiveness of kitchen ventilation systems, “which reinforces the importance of ventilation in commercial kitchens,” Pistochini said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The study falls short of producing a “nationwide population-level exposure study,” Kashtan said, which would quantify the average heat and gas a commercial kitchen worker is exposed to across the country. He said that would require a much larger sample. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashtan said areas of further study could focus on heat and gas exposure in dining rooms and places where waitstaff are, or in businesses or residences close to restaurants, such as in mixed-use buildings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The restaurant and foodservice industry provides 15.7 million jobs nationwide, according to the National Restaurant Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We would never expect a software engineer or a teacher to put up with such a harsh workplace, but this is normal for the millions of people who go to work each day in commercial kitchens to make our meals,” said David Lehrer, communications director for the Center for Built Environment at the University of California, Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashtan said this kind of work shouldn’t require “a bunch of scientists with fancy instruments.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It would be interesting to think about ways to require air quality monitoring in commercial kitchens,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sampled kitchens included both fine-dining and casual restaurants, catering facilities and institutions serving senior living communities and schools. The researchers measured kitchen air quality with specialized sensors, and tracked gas concentrations and temperature when the spaces were both in service and not. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sampled kitchens included both fine-dining and casual restaurants, catering facilities and institutions serving senior living communities and schools. The researchers measured kitchen air quality with specialized sensors, and tracked gas concentrations and temperature when the spaces were both in service and not. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In about 70% of the gas-fired restaurants sampled, nitrogen dioxide concentrations during work hours exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization one-hour exposure guidelines, the study found. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In about 70% of the gas-fired restaurants sampled, nitrogen dioxide concentrations during work hours exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization one-hour exposure guidelines, the study found. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Exposure to high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide can contribute to the development of asthma and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, according to the EPA. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The study also found concentrations of carbon monoxide and benzene, a known carcinogen, in concentrations exceeding California’s 1-hour exposure guideline in three and five gas-fired kitchens, respectively. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The study also found concentrations of carbon monoxide and benzene, a known carcinogen, in concentrations exceeding California’s 1-hour exposure guideline in three and five gas-fired kitchens, respectively. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The three electric kitchens had levels of pollution “pretty close to background levels,” according to Kashtan. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Not zero, but not much higher than you would be breathing just walking around,” Kashtan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kashtan said he was surprised to find that roughly two-thirds of gas-powered kitchens measured had higher levels of pollution when they weren’t in service, something he attributed to ventilation fans not operating while the pilot lights of gas ranges continued to sputter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kashtan said he was surprised to find that roughly two-thirds of gas-powered kitchens measured had higher levels of pollution when they weren’t in service, something he attributed to ventilation fans not operating while the pilot lights of gas ranges continued to sputter.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That means cleaning crews or early arriving staff might be exposed to some of the highest levels of pollution, before the kitchen begins service and cooks turn on ventilation fans.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That means cleaning crews or early arriving staff might be exposed to some of the highest levels of pollution, before the kitchen begins service and cooks turn on ventilation fans.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“One concrete, actionable thing that anybody can do is turn on the ventilation the minute you walk into the kitchen in the morning to flush out everything that’s built up overnight, and that’s going to keep you from breathing in this soup of pollution,” Kashtan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“One concrete, actionable thing that anybody can do is turn on the ventilation the minute you walk into the kitchen in the morning to flush out everything that’s built up overnight, and that’s going to keep you from breathing in this soup of pollution,” Kashtan said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Restaurants with pilot lights could switch to more modern equipment that uses electronic spark ignition to prevent overnight pollution, said Theresa Pistochini, associate director of the Western Cooling Efficiency Center, although she acknowledged that could be expensive.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Restaurants with pilot lights could switch to more modern equipment that uses electronic spark ignition to prevent overnight pollution, said Theresa Pistochini, associate director of the Western Cooling Efficiency Center, although she acknowledged that could be expensive.\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-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001893\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-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, explains how her team uses the Aeris analyzers to measure 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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"\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-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001893\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, explains how her team uses the Aeris analyzers to measure 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\u003cp>“While there is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2002089/heres-what-all-electric-bay-area-restaurants-have-learned-from-ditching-gas\">debate in the restaurant industry\u003c/a> about whether all-electric cooking can meet the needs of chefs with specific cooking practices, it is safe to say that there is no tangible benefit to pilot lights,” Pistochini said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Industry trade groups like the California Restaurant Association have opposed local governments’ attempts to establish electrification mandates. The group successfully challenged the city of Berkeley’s 2019 ban on natural gas hookups in new construction. The CRA has argued that restaurants would not be able to produce the same quality food with electric appliances as with gas ones.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Industry trade groups like the California Restaurant Association have opposed local governments’ attempts to establish electrification mandates. The group successfully challenged the city of Berkeley’s 2019 ban on natural gas hookups in new construction. The CRA has argued that restaurants would not be able to produce the same quality food with electric appliances as with gas ones.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1995336/heres-what-happened-when-scientists-tested-the-air-with-my-gas-stove-on\">previous studies\u003c/a> have established a link between cooking with gas appliances and increased indoor air pollution in residential settings, commercial kitchens have received much less attention, according to Rob Jackson, professor of earth system science at Stanford University, and a study co-author.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1995336/heres-what-happened-when-scientists-tested-the-air-with-my-gas-stove-on\">previous studies\u003c/a> have established a link between cooking with gas appliances and increased indoor air pollution in residential settings, commercial kitchens have received much less attention, according to Rob Jackson, professor of earth system science at Stanford University, and a study co-author.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our study shows that burning gas in a restaurant kitchen is as suspect as burning it in our homes,” Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Death Valley in the summer’ \u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>Kitchens with gas-fired appliances were also substantially hotter than their electric counterparts. The study found that the temperature in a majority of gas kitchens, 68%, exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with four exceeding 122 degrees, according to measurements taken just outside a main vent hood. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Death Valley in the summer’ \u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>Kitchens with gas-fired appliances were also substantially hotter than their electric counterparts. The study found that the temperature in a majority of gas kitchens, 68%, exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with four exceeding 122 degrees, according to measurements taken just outside a main vent hood. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That’s Death Valley in the summer,” Kashtan said. “It’s a very extreme environment.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two of the electric restaurants had the lowest peak temperatures recorded, although the study acknowledged this had “low statistical power” based on the small sample size. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Two of the electric restaurants had the lowest peak temperatures recorded, although the study acknowledged this had “low statistical power” based on the small sample size. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The findings of the study, that using electric appliances instead of gas ones reduces exposure to heat and harmful vapors, “generally align with expectations,” according to Pistochini.\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/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001892\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds a thermocouple logger which measures the temperature on ovens, 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>Pistochini noted there was a high variability in gas exposure, something she attributed to differences in cooking practices and the effectiveness of kitchen ventilation systems, “which reinforces the importance of ventilation in commercial kitchens,” Pistochini said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Pistochini noted there was a high variability in gas exposure, something she attributed to differences in cooking practices and the effectiveness of kitchen ventilation systems, “which reinforces the importance of ventilation in commercial kitchens,” Pistochini said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The study falls short of producing a “nationwide population-level exposure study,” Kashtan said, which would quantify the average heat and gas a commercial kitchen worker is exposed to across the country. He said that would require a much larger sample. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The study falls short of producing a “nationwide population-level exposure study,” Kashtan said, which would quantify the average heat and gas a commercial kitchen worker is exposed to across the country. He said that would require a much larger sample. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kashtan said areas of further study could focus on heat and gas exposure in dining rooms and places where waitstaff are, or in businesses or residences close to restaurants, such as in mixed-use buildings.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kashtan said areas of further study could focus on heat and gas exposure in dining rooms and places where waitstaff are, or in businesses or residences close to restaurants, such as in mixed-use buildings.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The restaurant and foodservice industry provides 15.7 million jobs nationwide, according to the National Restaurant Association.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We would never expect a software engineer or a teacher to put up with such a harsh workplace, but this is normal for the millions of people who go to work each day in commercial kitchens to make our meals,” said David Lehrer, communications director for the Center for Built Environment at the University of California, Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We would never expect a software engineer or a teacher to put up with such a harsh workplace, but this is normal for the millions of people who go to work each day in commercial kitchens to make our meals,” said David Lehrer, communications director for the Center for Built Environment at the University of California, Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kashtan said this kind of work shouldn’t require “a bunch of scientists with fancy instruments.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It would be interesting to think about ways to require air quality monitoring in commercial kitchens,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A new study from Bay Area researchers found that gas-powered kitchens can expose workers to dangerous levels of indoor air pollution and heat, while all-electric kitchens are cooler and cleaner. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Commercial kitchens outfitted with gas-fired appliances can reach temperatures as hot as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/tag/california\">California’s\u003c/a> Death Valley in the summer and expose workers to harmful gases in excess of health-based guidelines, according to a first-of-its-kind \u003ca href=\"https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae9d96\">study\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Commercial kitchens where workers cook with all-electric appliances, on the other hand, were much cooler and did not exceed any health guidelines for pollution exposure, the study found.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The study authors said the research is the first U.S. analysis to compare air quality and heat between gas-burning commercial kitchens and all-electric ones under real-world working conditions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“ In the majority of gas-fired kitchens we measured, the pollution levels exceeded health benchmarks for hours on end,” said Yannai Kashtan, air quality scientist at the nonprofit research institute PSE Healthy Energy, and the study’s first author.\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 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>The research was published Tuesday in the journal \u003ca href=\"https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326\">\u003cem>Environmental Research Letters\u003c/em>\u003c/a> by scientists at Stanford University, New York University and PSE Healthy Energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashtan’s team measured nitrogen dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and air temperature in 21 gas kitchens, three propane kitchens and three all-electric kitchens across California, Pennsylvania and New York. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sampled kitchens included both fine-dining and casual restaurants, catering facilities and institutions serving senior living communities and schools. The researchers measured kitchen air quality with specialized sensors, and tracked gas concentrations and temperature when the spaces were both in service and not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In about 70% of the gas-fired restaurants sampled, nitrogen dioxide concentrations during work hours exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization one-hour exposure guidelines, the study found. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Exposure to high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide can contribute to the development of asthma and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, according to the EPA. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The study also found concentrations of carbon monoxide and benzene, a known carcinogen, in concentrations exceeding California’s 1-hour exposure guideline in three and five gas-fired kitchens, respectively. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The three electric kitchens had levels of pollution “pretty close to background levels,” according to Kashtan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not zero, but not much higher than you would be breathing just walking around,” Kashtan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashtan said he was surprised to find that roughly two-thirds of gas-powered kitchens measured had higher levels of pollution when they weren’t in service, something he attributed to ventilation fans not operating while the pilot lights of gas ranges continued to sputter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That means cleaning crews or early arriving staff might be exposed to some of the highest levels of pollution, before the kitchen begins service and cooks turn on ventilation fans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One concrete, actionable thing that anybody can do is turn on the ventilation the minute you walk into the kitchen in the morning to flush out everything that’s built up overnight, and that’s going to keep you from breathing in this soup of pollution,” Kashtan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Restaurants with pilot lights could switch to more modern equipment that uses electronic spark ignition to prevent overnight pollution, said Theresa Pistochini, associate director of the Western Cooling Efficiency Center, although she acknowledged that could be expensive.\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-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001893\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/20260827_ElectricKitchens_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samea Derrick, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, explains how her team uses the Aeris analyzers to measure 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\u003cp>“While there is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2002089/heres-what-all-electric-bay-area-restaurants-have-learned-from-ditching-gas\">debate in the restaurant industry\u003c/a> about whether all-electric cooking can meet the needs of chefs with specific cooking practices, it is safe to say that there is no tangible benefit to pilot lights,” Pistochini said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Industry trade groups like the California Restaurant Association have opposed local governments’ attempts to establish electrification mandates. The group successfully challenged the city of Berkeley’s 2019 ban on natural gas hookups in new construction. The CRA has argued that restaurants would not be able to produce the same quality food with electric appliances as with gas ones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1995336/heres-what-happened-when-scientists-tested-the-air-with-my-gas-stove-on\">previous studies\u003c/a> have established a link between cooking with gas appliances and increased indoor air pollution in residential settings, commercial kitchens have received much less attention, according to Rob Jackson, professor of earth system science at Stanford University, and a study co-author.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our study shows that burning gas in a restaurant kitchen is as suspect as burning it in our homes,” Jackson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Death Valley in the summer’ \u003cbr>\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>Kitchens with gas-fired appliances were also substantially hotter than their electric counterparts. The study found that the temperature in a majority of gas kitchens, 68%, exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with four exceeding 122 degrees, according to measurements taken just outside a main vent hood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That’s Death Valley in the summer,” Kashtan said. “It’s a very extreme environment.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of the electric restaurants had the lowest peak temperatures recorded, although the study acknowledged this had “low statistical power” based on the small sample size. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The findings of the study, that using electric appliances instead of gas ones reduces exposure to heat and harmful vapors, “generally align with expectations,” according to Pistochini.\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-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, staff researcher at the Jackson Lab, holds a thermocouple logger which measures the temperature on ovens, at Stanford University on Aug. 27, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Pistochini noted there was a high variability in gas exposure, something she attributed to differences in cooking practices and the effectiveness of kitchen ventilation systems, “which reinforces the importance of ventilation in commercial kitchens,” Pistochini said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The study falls short of producing a “nationwide population-level exposure study,” Kashtan said, which would quantify the average heat and gas a commercial kitchen worker is exposed to across the country. He said that would require a much larger sample. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashtan said areas of further study could focus on heat and gas exposure in dining rooms and places where waitstaff are, or in businesses or residences close to restaurants, such as in mixed-use buildings.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The restaurant and foodservice industry provides 15.7 million jobs nationwide, according to the National Restaurant Association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We would never expect a software engineer or a teacher to put up with such a harsh workplace, but this is normal for the millions of people who go to work each day in commercial kitchens to make our meals,” said David Lehrer, communications director for the Center for Built Environment at the University of California, Berkeley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kashtan said this kind of work shouldn’t require “a bunch of scientists with fancy instruments.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It would be interesting to think about ways to require air quality monitoring in commercial kitchens,” he said. \u003c/p>\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\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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"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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"\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\"/>\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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"title": "East Bay Grief Counselors Strike to Protest Layoffs and ‘Protect the Soul of Hospice’ | KQED",
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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": "that-rare-mastodon-fossil-found-in-san-mateo-is-now-at-stanford",
"title": "That Rare Mastodon Fossil Found in San Mateo Is Now at Stanford",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The rare fossil found in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-mateo\">San Mateo County\u003c/a> creek in early September now rests in a cabinet at Stanford’s Geoscience Specimen Collection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The foot-wide mastodon tooth is stored with over half a million other fossils, minerals, rocks and other specimens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These fossils tell a really important story about the environment that they lived in,” said Christine Garcia, curator and manager of the collection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/09/pacific-mastodon-tooth-ice-age-ecosystems-research\">Researchers\u003c/a> plan to analyze the tooth to learn more about the animal’s diet, environment and age. Stanford has also created a 3D scan of the tooth and plans to print replicas for educational outreach. \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=\"2000\" height=\"1545\" data-id=\"2002167\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-2000x1545.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002167\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-2000x1545.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-1536x1187.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-2048x1583.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rendering of a Mastodon Tooth. (Courtesy of Haley Grunloh via Midpen)\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=\"2002082\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002082\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fossilized tooth from a Pacific mastodon at Stanford University’s specimen storage facility in Palo Alto on Sept. 25, 2026. The tooth was discovered in a creek bed in San Mateo County. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We wouldn’t want folks to handle the real fossil too much,” Garcia said. “That could cause wear and tear on it. But a 3D copy is a great way to allow anybody to get hands-on with the fossil.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fossil provides insight into Pleistocene species and the Bay Area near the end of the Ice Age, when lower sea levels allowed large mammals — including mastodons, Columbian mammoths, giant ground sloths, and ancient camels — to roam terrain now submerged underwater. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fossil was found by Brigid Lynch, a geomorphologist with Balance Hydrologics, while she was surveying a creek in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Preserve habitat restoration for threatened California red-legged frogs. “As a geologist, I’ve gone out and seen stuff in the field, but definitely nothing as exciting as this,” said Lynch \u003ca href=\"https://www.openspace.org/about/press/10000-year-old-fossilized-mastodon-tooth-discovered-midpen-preserve\">at the time\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The molar was from a Pacific mastodon that roamed the Bay Area thousands of years ago and was almost entirely intact. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynch’s team contacted Pacific Paleontology after a reverse image search suggested it might be a mastodon tooth. Wayne Thompson, a paleontologist and the group’s CEO, confirmed on site that it was an upper left third molar.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The tooth itself is in immaculate condition,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the most complete mastodon molar from our area, and the most spectacular mastodon molar that I’ve ever seen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Measuring nearly a foot long and a foot tall, the fossil retains its crown attached to the roots. Mastodons were large, stocky relatives of modern elephants, slightly smaller than woolly mammoths. Unlike grazing mammoths, mastodons were browsers that used their trunks to strip leaves and shoots from trees and shrubs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Based on the molar’s wear, Thompson estimates the animal was between 45 and 50 years old when it died. Estimated to be at least 10,000 years old, the fossil will undergo further testing to establish a precise timeframe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Midpen donated the tooth to Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability. Garcia said that having both the root and crown intact is exceptionally rare, as researchers usually find only fragments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the fossil was found in water, Midpen kept it submerged until Stanford took over its care, gradually drying it in a climate-controlled environment to prevent deterioration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 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=\"2002087\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002087\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Christine Garcia, curator and manager of Stanford University’s Geoscience Specimen Collection, opens a storage area containing fossils at Stanford’s specimen storage facility in Palo Alto on Sept. 25, 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=\"2002084\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Christine Garcia, curator and manager of Stanford University’s Geoscience Specimen Collection, holds a container of ground fossil material at Stanford’s specimen storage facility in Palo Alto on Sept. 25, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The discovery also offers a reminder about conservation. Because the fossil was uncovered during a project to protect the 4-inch California red-legged frog, Ryan McCauley, a public affairs specialist with Midpen, said: “If a 9-foot mastodon can go extinct, there’s certainly no reason that a 4-inch-long red-legged frog couldn’t go extinct.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Garcia emphasizes that such fossils help scientists track how ancient ecosystems evolved and why species vanished.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can learn about which animals in which ecosystems thrived right where we are today,” Garcia said. “And we can try to better understand what happened to them and why.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To protect the site, officials are keeping the exact discovery location private. They would prefer to let any remaining fossils be exposed naturally through erosion rather than excavation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Thompson suspects more remains lie nearby, this single tooth offers a window into an ancient Bay Area landscape. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The fossil was found by Brigid Lynch, a geomorphologist with Balance Hydrologics, while she was surveying a creek in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Preserve habitat restoration for threatened California red-legged frogs. “As a geologist, I’ve gone out and seen stuff in the field, but definitely nothing as exciting as this,” said Lynch \u003ca href=\"https://www.openspace.org/about/press/10000-year-old-fossilized-mastodon-tooth-discovered-midpen-preserve\">at the time\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The molar was from a Pacific mastodon that roamed the Bay Area thousands of years ago and was almost entirely intact. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lynch’s team contacted Pacific Paleontology after a reverse image search suggested it might be a mastodon tooth. Wayne Thompson, a paleontologist and the group’s CEO, confirmed on site that it was an upper left third molar.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s the most complete mastodon molar from our area, and the most spectacular mastodon molar that I’ve ever seen.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Measuring nearly a foot long and a foot tall, the fossil retains its crown attached to the roots. Mastodons were large, stocky relatives of modern elephants, slightly smaller than woolly mammoths. Unlike grazing mammoths, mastodons were browsers that used their trunks to strip leaves and shoots from trees and shrubs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Based on the molar’s wear, Thompson estimates the animal was between 45 and 50 years old when it died. Estimated to be at least 10,000 years old, the fossil will undergo further testing to establish a precise timeframe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Midpen donated the tooth to Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability. Garcia said that having both the root and crown intact is exceptionally rare, as researchers usually find only fragments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The rare fossil found in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-mateo\">San Mateo County\u003c/a> creek in early September now rests in a cabinet at Stanford’s Geoscience Specimen Collection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The foot-wide mastodon tooth is stored with over half a million other fossils, minerals, rocks and other specimens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These fossils tell a really important story about the environment that they lived in,” said Christine Garcia, curator and manager of the collection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2026/09/pacific-mastodon-tooth-ice-age-ecosystems-research\">Researchers\u003c/a> plan to analyze the tooth to learn more about the animal’s diet, environment and age. Stanford has also created a 3D scan of the tooth and plans to print replicas for educational outreach. \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=\"2000\" height=\"1545\" data-id=\"2002167\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-2000x1545.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002167\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-2000x1545.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-160x124.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-768x593.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-1536x1187.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/10/Mastodon-Tooth-Rendering-Credit-Haley-Grunloh-2048x1583.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rendering of a Mastodon Tooth. (Courtesy of Haley Grunloh via Midpen)\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=\"2002082\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002082\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-03-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fossilized tooth from a Pacific mastodon at Stanford University’s specimen storage facility in Palo Alto on Sept. 25, 2026. The tooth was discovered in a creek bed in San Mateo County. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We wouldn’t want folks to handle the real fossil too much,” Garcia said. “That could cause wear and tear on it. But a 3D copy is a great way to allow anybody to get hands-on with the fossil.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fossil provides insight into Pleistocene species and the Bay Area near the end of the Ice Age, when lower sea levels allowed large mammals — including mastodons, Columbian mammoths, giant ground sloths, and ancient camels — to roam terrain now submerged underwater. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The fossil was found by Brigid Lynch, a geomorphologist with Balance Hydrologics, while she was surveying a creek in the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Preserve habitat restoration for threatened California red-legged frogs. “As a geologist, I’ve gone out and seen stuff in the field, but definitely nothing as exciting as this,” said Lynch \u003ca href=\"https://www.openspace.org/about/press/10000-year-old-fossilized-mastodon-tooth-discovered-midpen-preserve\">at the time\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The molar was from a Pacific mastodon that roamed the Bay Area thousands of years ago and was almost entirely intact. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynch’s team contacted Pacific Paleontology after a reverse image search suggested it might be a mastodon tooth. Wayne Thompson, a paleontologist and the group’s CEO, confirmed on site that it was an upper left third molar.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The tooth itself is in immaculate condition,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s the most complete mastodon molar from our area, and the most spectacular mastodon molar that I’ve ever seen.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Measuring nearly a foot long and a foot tall, the fossil retains its crown attached to the roots. Mastodons were large, stocky relatives of modern elephants, slightly smaller than woolly mammoths. Unlike grazing mammoths, mastodons were browsers that used their trunks to strip leaves and shoots from trees and shrubs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Based on the molar’s wear, Thompson estimates the animal was between 45 and 50 years old when it died. Estimated to be at least 10,000 years old, the fossil will undergo further testing to establish a precise timeframe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Midpen donated the tooth to Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability. Garcia said that having both the root and crown intact is exceptionally rare, as researchers usually find only fragments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Because the fossil was found in water, Midpen kept it submerged until Stanford took over its care, gradually drying it in a climate-controlled environment to prevent deterioration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 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=\"2002087\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002087\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-12-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Christine Garcia, curator and manager of Stanford University’s Geoscience Specimen Collection, opens a storage area containing fossils at Stanford’s specimen storage facility in Palo Alto on Sept. 25, 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=\"2002084\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002084\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260925-RareFossil-09-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Christine Garcia, curator and manager of Stanford University’s Geoscience Specimen Collection, holds a container of ground fossil material at Stanford’s specimen storage facility in Palo Alto on Sept. 25, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The discovery also offers a reminder about conservation. Because the fossil was uncovered during a project to protect the 4-inch California red-legged frog, Ryan McCauley, a public affairs specialist with Midpen, said: “If a 9-foot mastodon can go extinct, there’s certainly no reason that a 4-inch-long red-legged frog couldn’t go extinct.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Garcia emphasizes that such fossils help scientists track how ancient ecosystems evolved and why species vanished.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can learn about which animals in which ecosystems thrived right where we are today,” Garcia said. “And we can try to better understand what happened to them and why.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To protect the site, officials are keeping the exact discovery location private. They would prefer to let any remaining fossils be exposed naturally through erosion rather than excavation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Thompson suspects more remains lie nearby, this single tooth offers a window into an ancient Bay Area landscape. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">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/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">legalizing balcony, or “plug-in,” solar\u003c/a> Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The device is a twist on rooftop solar: smaller, portable, and relatively inexpensive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/small-plug-in-solar-panels-gain-traction-as-an-affordable-way-to-cut-electricity-bills\">Balcony solar\u003c/a> kits consist of just a few panels, an inverter that converts solar energy into the kind used in a home, and cables. In places where the technology is popular, like Germany, it can be plugged into a standard wall outlet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new law comes as Californians struggle to pay outsized electricity bills, which have risen substantially in recent years. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">Plug-in devices\u003c/a> open the solar market to renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those without the money to invest in a rooftop system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These small, easy-to-use solar panels will give everyone, including renters, the relief they desperately need on our outrageous energy bills,” said state Senator Scott Wiener (D – San Francisco) in a press release. Wiener authored the legislation. \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/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001784\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plug-in solar panels sit on top of an accessory dwelling unit in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California, for KQED on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">bill\u003c/a> received overwhelming bipartisan support from state lawmakers before landing on Newsom’s desk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Panels can hang from a balcony, out a window, or be tented in the backyard. Existing models range from \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">$300\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">$2200\u003c/a>, depending on size. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One reason the technology is substantially less expensive than rooftop solar is that it cuts out the costs of installation. Customers themselves set it up, which some have said is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001795/these-bay-area-residents-have-had-plug-in-solar-for-a-year-heres-how-its-going\">straightforward and others have found more challenging than advertised\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>California’s law comes with a wrinkle, however. Plug-in solar panels must be certified by an outside safety organization. Since the technology is new in the U.S., there is just \u003ca href=\"https://www.ul.com/news/ul-solutions-debuts-testing-and-certification-framework-safer-plug-solar-across-united-states\">one existing certification\u003c/a> offered by Underwriters Laboratories. Depending on how manufacturers innovate and roll out products, some may require an electrician’s help to install, while others may be truly “plug and play.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electrical experts and other advocates of California’s new law are still calling its passage a massive win, and expect the safety certification to evolve and eventually allow the plug-in panels to connect to a standard wall outlet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are celebrating,” said Cora Stryker, co-founder of plug-in solar advocacy group Bright Saver. “The market is sending a clear signal to manufacturers that they need to develop a California system.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new law will exempt plug-in panels from the typical way rooftop solar must be registered with utilities. Instead of paying upwards of a hundred dollars and waiting days to weeks, the new registration process will be free, straightforward, and immediate.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A handful of states have passed similar legislation within the past 18 months. Utah was the first, with a law passed in March 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ten states now have bills on the books that allow a relatively straightforward process for purchasing and setting up balcony solar systems, including Colorado, Virginia and Maine.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Supporters of the technology include hundreds of environmental and community groups, who argue plug-in solar democratizes access to solar power. They believe adoption by the most populous state would be a boon for the nascent U.S. balcony solar market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, including PG&E and SDG&E opposed the legislation, citing safety and a concern that the systems would shift energy costs to people without solar power in any form.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Labor unions representing firefighters and PG&E employees initially opposed the bill, but took a neutral stance once lawmakers included requirements that systems must comply with state and national electrical codes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some Californians have already installed plug-in solar panels, but utilities ask them to complete an interconnection agreement, citing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">state rules\u003c/a>. If done through PG&E for example, representatives from the utility said that process would cost between roughly $100 to $800 and take about an hour. Typically, the approval comes through in three days, PG&E staff said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plug-in solar advocates argued that the interconnection process defeated the plug-and-play goal of the technology, and could double or triple its cost.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their hope is to make the panels as ubiquitous and easy to install as any off-the-shelf appliance dotting the racks of a Home Depot or Costco. \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/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1997035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer installs power inverters on the solar panels at Matthew Milner’s home in Kensington on May 23, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proponents of the technology say it can meet up to 20% of a home’s electricity needs and save as much as $500 annually for a small apartment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new law outlines several device requirements. The balcony solar systems must not generate more than 1,200 watts per home — enough energy to power a window air-conditioning unit — and offset a customer’s onsite electricity use. They must be certified by an outside safety organization and have a feature that would prevent electricity from feeding back into the grid if there’s a power outage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plug-in solar products currently on the market do not yet meet the outlined requirements, and customers therefore must still register the available systems as though they are rooftop solar. The sale of non-compliant systems will become illegal in 2030.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Groups that sponsored the bill said there are a few companies already developing systems meeting the specific California standards, and they expect these models to hit the market in the spring. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation goes into effect in 2027, and sunsets Jan. 1, 2030, “making it a fight that continues,” said Stryker.\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>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">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/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">legalizing balcony, or “plug-in,” solar\u003c/a> Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">legalizing balcony, or “plug-in,” solar\u003c/a> Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/small-plug-in-solar-panels-gain-traction-as-an-affordable-way-to-cut-electricity-bills\">Balcony solar\u003c/a> kits consist of just a few panels, an inverter that converts solar energy into the kind used in a home, and cables. In places where the technology is popular, like Germany, it can be plugged into a standard wall outlet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/small-plug-in-solar-panels-gain-traction-as-an-affordable-way-to-cut-electricity-bills\">Balcony solar\u003c/a> kits consist of just a few panels, an inverter that converts solar energy into the kind used in a home, and cables. In places where the technology is popular, like Germany, it can be plugged into a standard wall outlet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new law comes as Californians struggle to pay outsized electricity bills, which have risen substantially in recent years. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">Plug-in devices\u003c/a> open the solar market to renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those without the money to invest in a rooftop system.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The new law comes as Californians struggle to pay outsized electricity bills, which have risen substantially in recent years. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">Plug-in devices\u003c/a> open the solar market to renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those without the money to invest in a rooftop system.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These small, easy-to-use solar panels will give everyone, including renters, the relief they desperately need on our outrageous energy bills,” said state Senator Scott Wiener (D – San Francisco) in a press release. Wiener authored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These small, easy-to-use solar panels will give everyone, including renters, the relief they desperately need on our outrageous energy bills,” said state Senator Scott Wiener (D – San Francisco) in a press release. Wiener authored the legislation. \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/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001784\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-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\">Plug-in solar panels sit on top of an accessory dwelling unit in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California, for KQED on Aug. 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Panels can hang from a balcony, out a window, or be tented in the backyard. Existing models range from \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">$300\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">$2200\u003c/a>, depending on size. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Panels can hang from a balcony, out a window, or be tented in the backyard. Existing models range from \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">$300\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">$2200\u003c/a>, depending on size. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One reason the technology is substantially less expensive than rooftop solar is that it cuts out the costs of installation. Customers themselves set it up, which some have said is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001795/these-bay-area-residents-have-had-plug-in-solar-for-a-year-heres-how-its-going\">straightforward and others have found more challenging than advertised\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>California’s law comes with a wrinkle, however. Plug-in solar panels must be certified by an outside safety organization. Since the technology is new in the U.S., there is just \u003ca href=\"https://www.ul.com/news/ul-solutions-debuts-testing-and-certification-framework-safer-plug-solar-across-united-states\">one existing certification\u003c/a> offered by Underwriters Laboratories. Depending on how manufacturers innovate and roll out products, some may require an electrician’s help to install, while others may be truly “plug and play.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One reason the technology is substantially less expensive than rooftop solar is that it cuts out the costs of installation. Customers themselves set it up, which some have said is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001795/these-bay-area-residents-have-had-plug-in-solar-for-a-year-heres-how-its-going\">straightforward and others have found more challenging than advertised\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>California’s law comes with a wrinkle, however. Plug-in solar panels must be certified by an outside safety organization. Since the technology is new in the U.S., there is just \u003ca href=\"https://www.ul.com/news/ul-solutions-debuts-testing-and-certification-framework-safer-plug-solar-across-united-states\">one existing certification\u003c/a> offered by Underwriters Laboratories. Depending on how manufacturers innovate and roll out products, some may require an electrician’s help to install, while others may be truly “plug and play.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some Californians have already installed plug-in solar panels, but utilities ask them to complete an interconnection agreement, citing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">state rules\u003c/a>. If done through PG&E for example, representatives from the utility said that process would cost between roughly $100 to $800 and take about an hour. Typically, the approval comes through in three days, PG&E staff said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plug-in solar advocates argued that the interconnection process defeated the plug-and-play goal of the technology, and could double or triple its cost.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their hope is to make the panels as ubiquitous and easy to install as any off-the-shelf appliance dotting the racks of a Home Depot or Costco. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new law outlines several device requirements. The balcony solar systems must not generate more than 1,200 watts per home — enough energy to power a window air-conditioning unit — and offset a customer’s onsite electricity use. They must be certified by an outside safety organization and have a feature that would prevent electricity from feeding back into the grid if there’s a power outage. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Plug-in solar products currently on the market do not yet meet the outlined requirements, and customers therefore must still register the available systems as though they are rooftop solar. The sale of non-compliant systems will become illegal in 2030.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Groups that sponsored the bill said there are a few companies already developing systems meeting the specific California standards, and they expect these models to hit the market in the spring. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The legislation goes into effect in 2027, and sunsets Jan. 1, 2030, “making it a fight that continues,” said Stryker.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cimg 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 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": "Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to make it simpler for Californians to install plug-in solar panels. Models that meet state standards are expected to be on sale in mid-2027.\n",
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"title": "California Officially Legalizes Balcony Solar, Opening the Market to the New Technology | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/flippingtheswitch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">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/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001842/california-lawmakers-greenlight-solar-panels-you-can-plug-into-the-wall\">legalizing balcony, or “plug-in,” solar\u003c/a> Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The device is a twist on rooftop solar: smaller, portable, and relatively inexpensive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/small-plug-in-solar-panels-gain-traction-as-an-affordable-way-to-cut-electricity-bills\">Balcony solar\u003c/a> kits consist of just a few panels, an inverter that converts solar energy into the kind used in a home, and cables. In places where the technology is popular, like Germany, it can be plugged into a standard wall outlet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new law comes as Californians struggle to pay outsized electricity bills, which have risen substantially in recent years. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997918/forget-rooftops-bay-area-residents-are-plugging-solar-into-the-wall\">Plug-in devices\u003c/a> open the solar market to renters, people with unsuitable roofs, and those without the money to invest in a rooftop system.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These small, easy-to-use solar panels will give everyone, including renters, the relief they desperately need on our outrageous energy bills,” said state Senator Scott Wiener (D – San Francisco) in a press release. Wiener authored the legislation. \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/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001784\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/260823-PLUGINSOLARFOLO-00927_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plug-in solar panels sit on top of an accessory dwelling unit in Agnes Chan’s backyard in Berkeley, California, for KQED on Aug. 23, 2026. (Tâm Vũ for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB868\">bill\u003c/a> received overwhelming bipartisan support from state lawmakers before landing on Newsom’s desk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Panels can hang from a balcony, out a window, or be tented in the backyard. Existing models range from \u003ca href=\"https://www.brightsaver.org/\">$300\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://craftstrom.com/\">$2200\u003c/a>, depending on size. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One reason the technology is substantially less expensive than rooftop solar is that it cuts out the costs of installation. Customers themselves set it up, which some have said is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2001795/these-bay-area-residents-have-had-plug-in-solar-for-a-year-heres-how-its-going\">straightforward and others have found more challenging than advertised\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>California’s law comes with a wrinkle, however. Plug-in solar panels must be certified by an outside safety organization. Since the technology is new in the U.S., there is just \u003ca href=\"https://www.ul.com/news/ul-solutions-debuts-testing-and-certification-framework-safer-plug-solar-across-united-states\">one existing certification\u003c/a> offered by Underwriters Laboratories. Depending on how manufacturers innovate and roll out products, some may require an electrician’s help to install, while others may be truly “plug and play.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Electrical experts and other advocates of California’s new law are still calling its passage a massive win, and expect the safety certification to evolve and eventually allow the plug-in panels to connect to a standard wall outlet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are celebrating,” said Cora Stryker, co-founder of plug-in solar advocacy group Bright Saver. “The market is sending a clear signal to manufacturers that they need to develop a California system.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new law will exempt plug-in panels from the typical way rooftop solar must be registered with utilities. Instead of paying upwards of a hundred dollars and waiting days to weeks, the new registration process will be free, straightforward, and immediate.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>A handful of states have passed similar legislation within the past 18 months. Utah was the first, with a law passed in March 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ten states now have bills on the books that allow a relatively straightforward process for purchasing and setting up balcony solar systems, including Colorado, Virginia and Maine.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Supporters of the technology include hundreds of environmental and community groups, who argue plug-in solar democratizes access to solar power. They believe adoption by the most populous state would be a boon for the nascent U.S. balcony solar market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, including PG&E and SDG&E opposed the legislation, citing safety and a concern that the systems would shift energy costs to people without solar power in any form.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Labor unions representing firefighters and PG&E employees initially opposed the bill, but took a neutral stance once lawmakers included requirements that systems must comply with state and national electrical codes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some Californians have already installed plug-in solar panels, but utilities ask them to complete an interconnection agreement, citing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Rule21/\">state rules\u003c/a>. If done through PG&E for example, representatives from the utility said that process would cost between roughly $100 to $800 and take about an hour. Typically, the approval comes through in three days, PG&E staff said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plug-in solar advocates argued that the interconnection process defeated the plug-and-play goal of the technology, and could double or triple its cost.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Their hope is to make the panels as ubiquitous and easy to install as any off-the-shelf appliance dotting the racks of a Home Depot or Costco. \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/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1997035\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/250523-SOLAR-BALCONY-MD-13-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rupert Mayer installs power inverters on the solar panels at Matthew Milner’s home in Kensington on May 23, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proponents of the technology say it can meet up to 20% of a home’s electricity needs and save as much as $500 annually for a small apartment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new law outlines several device requirements. The balcony solar systems must not generate more than 1,200 watts per home — enough energy to power a window air-conditioning unit — and offset a customer’s onsite electricity use. They must be certified by an outside safety organization and have a feature that would prevent electricity from feeding back into the grid if there’s a power outage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plug-in solar products currently on the market do not yet meet the outlined requirements, and customers therefore must still register the available systems as though they are rooftop solar. The sale of non-compliant systems will become illegal in 2030.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Groups that sponsored the bill said there are a few companies already developing systems meeting the specific California standards, and they expect these models to hit the market in the spring. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legislation goes into effect in 2027, and sunsets Jan. 1, 2030, “making it a fight that continues,” said Stryker.\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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"headTitle": "Here’s What California Is Learning From Solar Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.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>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duo went on to start Solar Aquagrid, an advocacy firm dedicated to reimagining aging canals, and partnered with the Turlock Irrigation District, UC Merced and the California Department of Water Resources to cover small sections of Turlock’s canals with solar panels. The new “solar canal” provides shade to limit evaporation and generates power all in one neat package. They call it Project Nexus, and it operates at the intersection of the state’s need for clean water and energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj affectionately called the wide-span canopy his “singular field of dream.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the state put panels over 100 miles of the wide canals, it could save 11,000 households’ worth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also estimates that the narrow and the wide canal could generate 330 to 1,400 megawatts per hundred miles respectively — enough to power 77,000 to 304,000 households.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research team also found numerous “co-benefits,” or silver linings that make the project more valuable than the sum of its water and power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bales said shading the canals led to less algal growth and less fixed aquatic weed growth — reducing maintenance and improving water quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Preventing new solar development on natural land benefits both people and planet, Bale added, emphasizing how preserving these lands is essential for maintaining life “as we know it on the Earth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Acquiring permits to build on undeveloped land can be a major bottleneck for developers, too. Building on open space takes 621 days on average, compared with 110 days for projects on developed land, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">study\u003c/a> from The Nature Conservancy.\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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given the numerous benefits, Bales said the project “just makes sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But just because something makes sense does not mean it’s easy to implement. “We often talk about the challenges of getting to the obvious,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris and Raj found their “ideal” partner in Turlock Irrigation District, a 139-year-old irrigation district operating 250 miles of canals that provides both water and power to nearly 5,000 farmers in the Central Valley growing everything from beans to peaches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over in Contra Costa County, the urban landscape makes any kind of solar canal project unrealistic, said Jennifer Allen, a spokesperson for the county’s water district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, the canal system runs through backyards and public parks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Something like Project Nexus wouldn’t work because maintenance workers need to access the canals and have limited space to work alongside them, Allen said. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founder Robin Raj stands near solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. The company helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state remains focused on “evaluation, continued study, potential scaling and lessons learned.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final report comes out later this year.\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\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.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>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.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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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-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\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The duo went on to start Solar Aquagrid, an advocacy firm dedicated to reimagining aging canals, and partnered with the Turlock Irrigation District, UC Merced and the California Department of Water Resources to cover small sections of Turlock’s canals with solar panels. The new “solar canal” provides shade to limit evaporation and generates power all in one neat package. They call it Project Nexus, and it operates at the intersection of the state’s need for clean water and energy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Raj affectionately called the wide-span canopy his “singular field of dream.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the state put panels over 100 miles of the wide canals, it could save 11,000 households’ worth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He also estimates that the narrow and the wide canal could generate 330 to 1,400 megawatts per hundred miles respectively — enough to power 77,000 to 304,000 households.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-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\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The research team also found numerous “co-benefits,” or silver linings that make the project more valuable than the sum of its water and power. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bales said shading the canals led to less algal growth and less fixed aquatic weed growth — reducing maintenance and improving water quality.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Preventing new solar development on natural land benefits both people and planet, Bale added, emphasizing how preserving these lands is essential for maintaining life “as we know it on the Earth.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Acquiring permits to build on undeveloped land can be a major bottleneck for developers, too. Building on open space takes 621 days on average, compared with 110 days for projects on developed land, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">study\u003c/a> from The Nature Conservancy.\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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-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\">A Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Given the numerous benefits, Bales said the project “just makes sense.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But just because something makes sense does not mean it’s easy to implement. “We often talk about the challenges of getting to the obvious,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Harris and Raj found their “ideal” partner in Turlock Irrigation District, a 139-year-old irrigation district operating 250 miles of canals that provides both water and power to nearly 5,000 farmers in the Central Valley growing everything from beans to peaches. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-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\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over in Contra Costa County, the urban landscape makes any kind of solar canal project unrealistic, said Jennifer Allen, a spokesperson for the county’s water district.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Today, the canal system runs through backyards and public parks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Something like Project Nexus wouldn’t work because maintenance workers need to access the canals and have limited space to work alongside them, Allen said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001984\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founder Robin Raj stands near solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. The company helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing solar panels over working irrigation canals.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state remains focused on “evaluation, continued study, potential scaling and lessons learned.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The final report comes out later this year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cimg 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 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: 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 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": "California solar panels tower over canals in Turlock, proving to save water, produce clean energy and improve local water quality.",
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"title": "Here’s What California Is Learning From Solar Panels Built Over Irrigation Canals | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.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>Driving from Los Angeles to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a>, Jordan Harris saw the concrete canals that transport water across the state slowly evaporating under the scorching West Coast sun.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris said he spent a lot of his life in France, where he noticed how trees lined the canals and protected their precious water from the wind and sun. “And so I started thinking, could we do something similar in California?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s extensive network of canals and aqueducts is the lifeblood of the state, providing clean water to populous cities and expansive farms that wouldn’t otherwise have it. While the state has long struggled with evaporation, researchers at UC Davis estimate that California’s total water supply could \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/blog/california-risks-billions-economic-losses-without-water-supply-action\">shrink\u003c/a> by up to 25% by 2050, the equivalent of two Lake Shastas. They attribute the decline, in part, to hotter temperatures caused by climate change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to limit warming poised to dry out the state, California pledged to shift to 100% clean electricity by 2045. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001988\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-27-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state currently generates \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">62%\u003c/a> of its electricity from renewable and zero-carbon sources, with the largest percentage of that coming from \u003ca href=\"https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2024-total-system-electric-generation\">solar\u003c/a>. But meeting California’s energy demand will require an \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">unprecedented expansion of solar and storage capacity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thinking back to the baking concrete canals, Harris pitched an “obvious” solution to his friend Robin Raj: Why not build solar panels on top of California’s 4,000 miles of open canals that transport water across the state? The panels would produce clean energy while limiting evaporation by shading the canal — a win-win. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The duo went on to start Solar Aquagrid, an advocacy firm dedicated to reimagining aging canals, and partnered with the Turlock Irrigation District, UC Merced and the California Department of Water Resources to cover small sections of Turlock’s canals with solar panels. The new “solar canal” provides shade to limit evaporation and generates power all in one neat package. They call it Project Nexus, and it operates at the intersection of the state’s need for clean water and energy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Project Nexus tests not one, but three different solar canal models. A wide-span canopy rises over one of Turlock’s 115-foot canals, resembling the top of a barn. A more classic set of slanting solar panels sits atop a 20-foot canal. And accordion-like retractable panels are positioned low across the narrow canal, ready to roll up at a moment’s notice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj affectionately called the wide-span canopy his “singular field of dream.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Bales, a professor at UC Merced who co-authored a \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/content/qt8cj5j07p/qt8cj5j07p.pdf\">2021\u003c/a> study that helped convince the state to invest in this pilot, said his initial calculations indicate that putting panels over 100 miles of Turlock’s narrow canals could save enough water for 2,700 households annually. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the state put panels over 100 miles of the wide canals, it could save 11,000 households’ worth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also estimates that the narrow and the wide canal could generate 330 to 1,400 megawatts per hundred miles respectively — enough to power 77,000 to 304,000 households.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The pilot was fully completed and energized last year. Earlier this month, Harris walked alongside the solar panels that arched over a 115-foot canal. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001982\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-10-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founders Jordan Harris (left) and Robin Raj walk alongside solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. Solar AquaGrid helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing the use of solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These are disturbed spaces,” Harris said, pointing to the concrete ditch filled with murky water. “So why not take advantage of the fact that we’ve already done that and help them work harder, be more efficient, produce more and protect what’s around us?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The research team also found numerous “co-benefits,” or silver linings that make the project more valuable than the sum of its water and power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bales said shading the canals led to less algal growth and less fixed aquatic weed growth — reducing maintenance and improving water quality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Preventing new solar development on natural land benefits both people and planet, Bale added, emphasizing how preserving these lands is essential for maintaining life “as we know it on the Earth.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Acquiring permits to build on undeveloped land can be a major bottleneck for developers, too. Building on open space takes 621 days on average, compared with 110 days for projects on developed land, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.scienceforconservation.org/assets/downloads/TNC_The_Pace_of_Solar_Progress_Final_Report.pdf\">study\u003c/a> from The Nature Conservancy.\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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001987\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-25-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Given the numerous benefits, Bales said the project “just makes sense.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But just because something makes sense does not mean it’s easy to implement. “We often talk about the challenges of getting to the obvious,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Projects touching land, water and power often involve coordinating many stakeholders. California’s canals can be managed by state or federal water agencies, as well as municipal governments and local irrigation districts. These operators often do not own the land around the canal, let alone the infrastructure to transmit the power to utilities — one of the most expensive parts of renewable energy projects, according to Harris. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Harris and Raj found their “ideal” partner in Turlock Irrigation District, a 139-year-old irrigation district operating 250 miles of canals that provides both water and power to nearly 5,000 farmers in the Central Valley growing everything from beans to peaches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It is one of four irrigation districts in California providing both water and retail power, noted Josh Weimer, a spokesperson for Turlock.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer said that the project received little pushback from locals, in part because, while the Irrigation District used some staff time for the project, a $20 million state grant paid for both the research and the infrastructure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Weimer described the project as a “proof of concept” that generates just 1.7 megawatts of energy, a tiny fraction of the 56 megawatts that they generate with a solar farm in the desert. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the canal site hosts more than just panels. Bales said they “have instruments out there to measure temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, incoming radiation, outgoing radiation, and a prototype instrument to measure evaporation directly.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to algae, the panels helped. “Last year when we drained the canal at the end of the irrigation season, there was a physical line on the sun side of the canal that had algae growth and then not algae growth from where the shade was,” Weimer said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Turlock’s solar panels tower above the water because the irrigation district cleans the canals on a regular basis with equipment. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001981\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar panels cover part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal as part of Project Nexus in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This isn’t gonna be the only way to do it,” Weimer said — describing how they drag a massive anchor chain through the water to rip out weeds. Similar panels in India and Arizona sit low over the canals, leaving little room for the kind of cleaning that Turlock needs to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over in Contra Costa County, the urban landscape makes any kind of solar canal project unrealistic, said Jennifer Allen, a spokesperson for the county’s water district.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Contra Costa Water District manages 48 miles of canals winding from Knightsen to Martinez. The Bureau of Reclamation built the system back in the 1930s when the region was predominantly farmland — much like Turlock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Today, the canal system runs through backyards and public parks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Something like Project Nexus wouldn’t work because maintenance workers need to access the canals and have limited space to work alongside them, Allen said. \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/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2001984\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/09/260904-ClimateSolutionsSolarCanal-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Solar AquaGrid co-founder Robin Raj stands near solar panels covering part of a Turlock Irrigation District canal in Hickman, California, on Sept. 4, 2026. The company helped develop Project Nexus, a pilot project testing solar panels over working irrigation canals. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even though the canal is fenced in, “we have instances where we have cars go into the canal — we’ll have people go into the canal, and animals go into the canal,” Allen said, describing some of the challenges they faced as an urban water district. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What Turlock is doing with their projects is very impressive, but we have a different-looking canal system going through our service area,” Allen said. They are looking to put their canals into pipes to avoid evaporation, instead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Schwarz, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Water Resources, said that they are waiting to see the final report before deciding to invest in more projects. “These canals vary widely — from narrow, unlined dirt channels that deliver irrigation water to individual fields, to concrete-lined channels over a hundred feet wide that transport water across California,” Schwarz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state remains focused on “evaluation, continued study, potential scaling and lessons learned.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Critical infrastructure change is really hard, and if you don’t have science behind it to justify the expense and be able to quantify the benefits, then you’re not gonna scale,” Harris said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are fortunate to live in California where this is a priority and where our state agencies are open to this level of examination and exploration,” Raj said. “That can’t be taken for granted.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The final report comes out later this year.\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\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "newsoms-bay-delta-plan-thrown-into-confusion-after-rebuke-from-trump-administration",
"title": "Newsom’s Bay-Delta Plan Thrown Into Confusion After Rebuke From Trump Administration",
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"headTitle": "Newsom’s Bay-Delta Plan Thrown Into Confusion After Rebuke From Trump Administration | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s current plan for making sure the water flowing through the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is clean and abundant enough to protect threatened and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983312/what-happened-to-californias-salmon-season-this-year\">endangered wildlife\u003c/a> is \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163\">old and not working\u003c/a>. This nexus of waterways, so crucial to the functioning of the state, has been long fought over and will be fought over long into the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the moment, however, the fight However, looks particularly chaotic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom first proposed major changes to rules governing the Bay-Delta \u003ca href=\"https://wwd.ca.gov/wwd-newsletter/voluntary-agreements-an-opportunity-to-improve-conservation-through-collaboration/\">in 2020\u003c/a>, arguing his proposal strikes a balance for use of the water for cities, growers and fish. The framework for managing the Sacramento River was last meaningfully updated in 1995, despite the fact that it is supposed to be reviewed and updated if needed every three years. The regulations were refined over years and backed by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/07/sacramento-river-delta-report/\">$1.5 billion in state funds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state water board announced the release of its final draft update to the document known as the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan in late August. It is now in the public comment period. Written comments are due Sept. 18. Oral comments will be accepted during an upcoming public meeting in Sacramento on Oct. 28 and 29. After that, the board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed and adopt the plan by the end of the month. \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/35/2025/09/Delta-e1757533440936.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998447\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Sacramento River in December 2019, in Clarksburg. The area is near a potential site for a new single tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that will help move Northern California water south to cities and farms, state water officials say. (Santiago Mejia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Newsom pressed for an approach that stressed collaboration between water agencies and funding for fish-habitat restoration, instead of imposing strict limits on how much water can be pulled from the delta system for cities and farms. The goal was to use more water more flexibly, but to do it in a way that did not unduly harm threatened and endangered species. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s approach, however, does not appear to have the federal buy-in it needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bureau of Reclamation said it had “serious concern[s]” with the plan as written, in a comment \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/mp/docs/cgb-actingcommissioner-letter-statewaterresourcescontrolborad-reclamationconcerns-20260904.pdf\">posted on its website\u003c/a>. Both it and the Westlands Water District, the Central Valley’s largest irrigation district, have threatened to walk away without major revisions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If officials at the state water board need to significantly rewrite its plan, that could make its completion by January, when Newsom will be termed out, unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California must cooperate with the federal government; they each operate one of the state’s two main water projects — a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals to deliver clean water to cities and farms. The water system is connected, so they have to work together to avoid taking each other’s water. Plus, the state relies on federal funding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the challenges, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re confident we can move forward,” Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary of natural resources, said in an interview with KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many environmental, fishing and tribal groups have opposed these voluntary agreements because they believe they inadequately protect fish. The federal government and the Westlands Water District also oppose them — but effectively for the opposite reason. They think the approach does not guarantee enough water for users, such as cities and farms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think all agree that environmental conditions need to improve for fish and wildlife, water quality, and just broadly the environmental health of those systems,” Crowfoot said. \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/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot speaks during a San Onofre lease agreement celebration at Trail 6 in San Onofre State Park on April 21, 2025. (Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I understand there are folks that don’t feel [this] is an appropriate pathway,” Crowfoot said, addressing the plan’s critics. “I can tell you, though, we are confident in the ability to implement [this program] and achieve improved environmental outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation, under the leadership of the Biden administration, signed an agreement with the state that expressed an intent to collaborate on the voluntary agreements. But it was not binding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state water board, in its August update, said, in effect, if baseline environmental protections were undermined, water users would have to come up with a plan to replace the lost water to keep the ecosystem intact. This is to prevent the backsliding of standards. It was enough, however, for the federal government and water contractors to remove support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements,” said Barry Nelson, senior policy adviser and founding board member for the Golden State Salmon Association. “As bad as [the agreements] are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nelson points to a pattern of the administration undermining environmental protections, as has been \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01092026/trump-epa-clean-air-water-retreat/\">extensively\u003c/a> documented by news organizations. \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/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1996801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Rio Vista Bridge spanning the Sacramento River in California on Sept. 10, 2021. The area is part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which is the hub of California’s water supply, supplying fresh water to two-thirds of the state’s population and millions of acres of farmland. (Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nelson said he sees four possible paths for the next few months. One, the water board could just adopt its current plan, ignoring the bureau’s comments and setting up a legal fight. Two, they could try to quickly rewrite the plan and put it out again in a month. Three, they sit down with federal agencies and try to negotiate a new agreement before January. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The last option “would be extraordinarily hard to do, and there’s simply no time to get it done legally,” said Nelson, referring to the required environmental analysis and public comment period. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crowfoot said he believes the water board would be careful to ensure anything it adopts has undergone full environmental review. “The board will no doubt have to consider that as a need as it considers input from all these different stakeholders,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option four, as Nelson sees it, is that the problem gets handed to the next state administration, headed by either Xavier Becerra, the Democrat candidate for California’s governor, or Steve Hilton, his Republican opponent. While Hilton has signaled he favors decreased regulations and environmental protections, frontrunner Becerra has not yet spoken extensively about California Bay-Delta issues. That could soon change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of 27 of the public water agencies in California, said in a statement to KQED she believes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program “can be the best path for California water if we can address the remaining key issues.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California deserves a water management system that works, and the proposed combination of environmental flows, significant habitat, funding, and science, if adopted, is our best chance to get things right,” she added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom first proposed major changes to rules governing the Bay-Delta \u003ca href=\"https://wwd.ca.gov/wwd-newsletter/voluntary-agreements-an-opportunity-to-improve-conservation-through-collaboration/\">in 2020\u003c/a>, arguing his proposal strikes a balance for use of the water for cities, growers and fish. The framework for managing the Sacramento River was last meaningfully updated in 1995, despite the fact that it is supposed to be reviewed and updated if needed every three years. The regulations were refined over years and backed by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/07/sacramento-river-delta-report/\">$1.5 billion in state funds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom first proposed major changes to rules governing the Bay-Delta \u003ca href=\"https://wwd.ca.gov/wwd-newsletter/voluntary-agreements-an-opportunity-to-improve-conservation-through-collaboration/\">in 2020\u003c/a>, arguing his proposal strikes a balance for use of the water for cities, growers and fish. The framework for managing the Sacramento River was last meaningfully updated in 1995, despite the fact that it is supposed to be reviewed and updated if needed every three years. The regulations were refined over years and backed by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/07/sacramento-river-delta-report/\">$1.5 billion in state funds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state water board announced the release of its final draft update to the document known as the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan in late August. It is now in the public comment period. Written comments are due Sept. 18. Oral comments will be accepted during an upcoming public meeting in Sacramento on Oct. 28 and 29. After that, the board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed and adopt the plan by the end of the month. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gov. Newsom pressed for an approach that stressed collaboration between water agencies and funding for fish-habitat restoration, instead of imposing strict limits on how much water can be pulled from the delta system for cities and farms. The goal was to use more water more flexibly, but to do it in a way that did not unduly harm threatened and endangered species. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom’s approach, however, does not appear to have the federal buy-in it needs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Bureau of Reclamation said it had “serious concern[s]” with the plan as written, in a comment \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/mp/docs/cgb-actingcommissioner-letter-statewaterresourcescontrolborad-reclamationconcerns-20260904.pdf\">posted on its website\u003c/a>. Both it and the Westlands Water District, the Central Valley’s largest irrigation district, have threatened to walk away without major revisions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If officials at the state water board need to significantly rewrite its plan, that could make its completion by January, when Newsom will be termed out, unlikely.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If officials at the state water board need to significantly rewrite its plan, that could make its completion by January, when Newsom will be termed out, unlikely.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California must cooperate with the federal government; they each operate one of the state’s two main water projects — a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals to deliver clean water to cities and farms. The water system is connected, so they have to work together to avoid taking each other’s water. Plus, the state relies on federal funding.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California must cooperate with the federal government; they each operate one of the state’s two main water projects — a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals to deliver clean water to cities and farms. The water system is connected, so they have to work together to avoid taking each other’s water. Plus, the state relies on federal funding.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the challenges, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Despite the challenges, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re confident we can move forward,” Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary of natural resources, said in an interview with KQED.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re confident we can move forward,” Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary of natural resources, said in an interview with KQED.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many environmental, fishing and tribal groups have opposed these voluntary agreements because they believe they inadequately protect fish. The federal government and the Westlands Water District also oppose them — but effectively for the opposite reason. They think the approach does not guarantee enough water for users, such as cities and farms. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many environmental, fishing and tribal groups have opposed these voluntary agreements because they believe they inadequately protect fish. The federal government and the Westlands Water District also oppose them — but effectively for the opposite reason. They think the approach does not guarantee enough water for users, such as cities and farms. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think all agree that environmental conditions need to improve for fish and wildlife, water quality, and just broadly the environmental health of those systems,” Crowfoot said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think all agree that environmental conditions need to improve for fish and wildlife, water quality, and just broadly the environmental health of those systems,” Crowfoot 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/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot speaks during a San Onofre lease agreement celebration at Trail 6 in San Onofre State Park on April 21, 2025. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I understand there are folks that don’t feel [this] is an appropriate pathway,” Crowfoot said, addressing the plan’s critics. “I can tell you, though, we are confident in the ability to implement [this program] and achieve improved environmental outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I understand there are folks that don’t feel [this] is an appropriate pathway,” Crowfoot said, addressing the plan’s critics. “I can tell you, though, we are confident in the ability to implement [this program] and achieve improved environmental outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Back in 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation, under the leadership of the Biden administration, signed an agreement with the state that expressed an intent to collaborate on the voluntary agreements. But it was not binding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Back in 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation, under the leadership of the Biden administration, signed an agreement with the state that expressed an intent to collaborate on the voluntary agreements. But it was not binding. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state water board, in its August update, said, in effect, if baseline environmental protections were undermined, water users would have to come up with a plan to replace the lost water to keep the ecosystem intact. This is to prevent the backsliding of standards. It was enough, however, for the federal government and water contractors to remove support.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state water board, in its August update, said, in effect, if baseline environmental protections were undermined, water users would have to come up with a plan to replace the lost water to keep the ecosystem intact. This is to prevent the backsliding of standards. It was enough, however, for the federal government and water contractors to remove support.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements,” said Barry Nelson, senior policy adviser and founding board member for the Golden State Salmon Association. “As bad as [the agreements] are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements,” said Barry Nelson, senior policy adviser and founding board member for the Golden State Salmon Association. “As bad as [the agreements] are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nelson points to a pattern of the administration undermining environmental protections, as has been \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01092026/trump-epa-clean-air-water-retreat/\">extensively\u003c/a> documented by news organizations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nelson points to a pattern of the administration undermining environmental protections, as has been \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01092026/trump-epa-clean-air-water-retreat/\">extensively\u003c/a> documented by news organizations. \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/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1996801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Rio Vista Bridge spanning the Sacramento River in California on Sept. 10, 2021. The area is part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which is the hub of California’s water supply, supplying fresh water to two-thirds of the state’s population and millions of acres of farmland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joyce Tsai/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/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1996801\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Rio Vista Bridge spanning the Sacramento River in California on Sept. 10, 2021. The area is part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which is the hub of California’s water supply, supplying fresh water to two-thirds of the state’s population and millions of acres of farmland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nelson said he sees four possible paths for the next few months. One, the water board could just adopt its current plan, ignoring the bureau’s comments and setting up a legal fight. Two, they could try to quickly rewrite the plan and put it out again in a month. Three, they sit down with federal agencies and try to negotiate a new agreement before January. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nelson said he sees four possible paths for the next few months. One, the water board could just adopt its current plan, ignoring the bureau’s comments and setting up a legal fight. Two, they could try to quickly rewrite the plan and put it out again in a month. Three, they sit down with federal agencies and try to negotiate a new agreement before January. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The last option “would be extraordinarily hard to do, and there’s simply no time to get it done legally,” said Nelson, referring to the required environmental analysis and public comment period. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The last option “would be extraordinarily hard to do, and there’s simply no time to get it done legally,” said Nelson, referring to the required environmental analysis and public comment period. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Crowfoot said he believes the water board would be careful to ensure anything it adopts has undergone full environmental review. “The board will no doubt have to consider that as a need as it considers input from all these different stakeholders,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Crowfoot said he believes the water board would be careful to ensure anything it adopts has undergone full environmental review. “The board will no doubt have to consider that as a need as it considers input from all these different stakeholders,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Option four, as Nelson sees it, is that the problem gets handed to the next state administration, headed by either Xavier Becerra, the Democrat candidate for California’s governor, or Steve Hilton, his Republican opponent. While Hilton has signaled he favors decreased regulations and environmental protections, frontrunner Becerra has not yet spoken extensively about California Bay-Delta issues. That could soon change. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Option four, as Nelson sees it, is that the problem gets handed to the next state administration, headed by either Xavier Becerra, the Democrat candidate for California’s governor, or Steve Hilton, his Republican opponent. While Hilton has signaled he favors decreased regulations and environmental protections, frontrunner Becerra has not yet spoken extensively about California Bay-Delta issues. That could soon change. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of 27 of the public water agencies in California, said in a statement to KQED she believes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program “can be the best path for California water if we can address the remaining key issues.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of 27 of the public water agencies in California, said in a statement to KQED she believes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program “can be the best path for California water if we can address the remaining key issues.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California deserves a water management system that works, and the proposed combination of environmental flows, significant habitat, funding, and science, if adopted, is our best chance to get things right,” she added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“California deserves a water management system that works, and the proposed combination of environmental flows, significant habitat, funding, and science, if adopted, is our best chance to get things right,” she added.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Written comments are due by the close of this week for a major rewrite of plan to keep the Bay-Delta ecosystem healthy. \n",
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"title": "Newsom’s Bay-Delta Plan Thrown Into Confusion After Rebuke From Trump Administration | KQED",
"description": "Written comments are due by the close of this week for a major rewrite of plan to keep the Bay-Delta ecosystem healthy. \n",
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"headline": "Newsom’s Bay-Delta Plan Thrown Into Confusion After Rebuke From Trump Administration",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s current plan for making sure the water flowing through the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is clean and abundant enough to protect threatened and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1983312/what-happened-to-californias-salmon-season-this-year\">endangered wildlife\u003c/a> is \u003ca href=\"https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163\">old and not working\u003c/a>. This nexus of waterways, so crucial to the functioning of the state, has been long fought over and will be fought over long into the future.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the moment, however, the fight However, looks particularly chaotic. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom first proposed major changes to rules governing the Bay-Delta \u003ca href=\"https://wwd.ca.gov/wwd-newsletter/voluntary-agreements-an-opportunity-to-improve-conservation-through-collaboration/\">in 2020\u003c/a>, arguing his proposal strikes a balance for use of the water for cities, growers and fish. The framework for managing the Sacramento River was last meaningfully updated in 1995, despite the fact that it is supposed to be reviewed and updated if needed every three years. The regulations were refined over years and backed by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2025/07/sacramento-river-delta-report/\">$1.5 billion in state funds\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state water board announced the release of its final draft update to the document known as the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan in late August. It is now in the public comment period. Written comments are due Sept. 18. Oral comments will be accepted during an upcoming public meeting in Sacramento on Oct. 28 and 29. After that, the board is supposed to consider input, alter as needed and adopt the plan by the end of the month. \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/35/2025/09/Delta-e1757533440936.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998447\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Sacramento River in December 2019, in Clarksburg. The area is near a potential site for a new single tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that will help move Northern California water south to cities and farms, state water officials say. (Santiago Mejia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Newsom pressed for an approach that stressed collaboration between water agencies and funding for fish-habitat restoration, instead of imposing strict limits on how much water can be pulled from the delta system for cities and farms. The goal was to use more water more flexibly, but to do it in a way that did not unduly harm threatened and endangered species. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom’s approach, however, does not appear to have the federal buy-in it needs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Bureau of Reclamation said it had “serious concern[s]” with the plan as written, in a comment \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/mp/docs/cgb-actingcommissioner-letter-statewaterresourcescontrolborad-reclamationconcerns-20260904.pdf\">posted on its website\u003c/a>. Both it and the Westlands Water District, the Central Valley’s largest irrigation district, have threatened to walk away without major revisions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If officials at the state water board need to significantly rewrite its plan, that could make its completion by January, when Newsom will be termed out, unlikely.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California must cooperate with the federal government; they each operate one of the state’s two main water projects — a system of dams, reservoirs, pumping stations and canals to deliver clean water to cities and farms. The water system is connected, so they have to work together to avoid taking each other’s water. Plus, the state relies on federal funding.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the challenges, California water officials are maintaining an upbeat tone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re confident we can move forward,” Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary of natural resources, said in an interview with KQED.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many environmental, fishing and tribal groups have opposed these voluntary agreements because they believe they inadequately protect fish. The federal government and the Westlands Water District also oppose them — but effectively for the opposite reason. They think the approach does not guarantee enough water for users, such as cities and farms. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think all agree that environmental conditions need to improve for fish and wildlife, water quality, and just broadly the environmental health of those systems,” Crowfoot said. \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/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1999275\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/WadeCrowfootGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot speaks during a San Onofre lease agreement celebration at Trail 6 in San Onofre State Park on April 21, 2025. (Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I understand there are folks that don’t feel [this] is an appropriate pathway,” Crowfoot said, addressing the plan’s critics. “I can tell you, though, we are confident in the ability to implement [this program] and achieve improved environmental outcomes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation, under the leadership of the Biden administration, signed an agreement with the state that expressed an intent to collaborate on the voluntary agreements. But it was not binding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state water board, in its August update, said, in effect, if baseline environmental protections were undermined, water users would have to come up with a plan to replace the lost water to keep the ecosystem intact. This is to prevent the backsliding of standards. It was enough, however, for the federal government and water contractors to remove support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have been saying for years that the Trump administration was a bad partner and would not implement the voluntary agreements,” said Barry Nelson, senior policy adviser and founding board member for the Golden State Salmon Association. “As bad as [the agreements] are, they’re not bad enough for the Trump administration.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nelson points to a pattern of the administration undermining environmental protections, as has been \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/01092026/trump-epa-clean-air-water-retreat/\">extensively\u003c/a> documented by news organizations. \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/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1996801\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/05/SacramentoDelta-17_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Rio Vista Bridge spanning the Sacramento River in California on Sept. 10, 2021. The area is part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which is the hub of California’s water supply, supplying fresh water to two-thirds of the state’s population and millions of acres of farmland. (Joyce Tsai/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nelson said he sees four possible paths for the next few months. One, the water board could just adopt its current plan, ignoring the bureau’s comments and setting up a legal fight. Two, they could try to quickly rewrite the plan and put it out again in a month. Three, they sit down with federal agencies and try to negotiate a new agreement before January. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The last option “would be extraordinarily hard to do, and there’s simply no time to get it done legally,” said Nelson, referring to the required environmental analysis and public comment period. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crowfoot said he believes the water board would be careful to ensure anything it adopts has undergone full environmental review. “The board will no doubt have to consider that as a need as it considers input from all these different stakeholders,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Option four, as Nelson sees it, is that the problem gets handed to the next state administration, headed by either Xavier Becerra, the Democrat candidate for California’s governor, or Steve Hilton, his Republican opponent. While Hilton has signaled he favors decreased regulations and environmental protections, frontrunner Becerra has not yet spoken extensively about California Bay-Delta issues. That could soon change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, an association of 27 of the public water agencies in California, said in a statement to KQED she believes the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program “can be the best path for California water if we can address the remaining key issues.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California deserves a water management system that works, and the proposed combination of environmental flows, significant habitat, funding, and science, if adopted, is our best chance to get things right,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Newsom Signs New Law to Clear Confusion Around Smoke Damage",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>One of the paradoxes facing people whose homes survive a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> is that they are often still victims of it. Sometimes, they have the least help for restoring their home to how it was. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>How insurance ought to address the damage caused by heat and smoke, even if the building never caught on fire, has been unclear, leaving survivors fighting to prove their homes were unsafe and to have their claims covered — until now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation into law that establishes the nation’s first enforceable standards for testing and fixing smoke-damaged homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For future fire survivors, they will have peace of mind as well as safety,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network. Her home suffered smoke damage during the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ideally we’ll get some settled science on the question, ‘Is my house safe?’” Chen said. “‘What needs to be done to make it safe?”\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/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The remains of a house in Altadena, California, 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>Survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles firestorm were among the strongest advocates for changes. More than a quarter of all insurance claims stemming from the fires were for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047275/6-months-after-januarys-fires-recovery-is-just-beginning-for-many\">smoke damage\u003c/a> to homes that didn’t burn, according to estimates from the California Department of Insurance. Smoke-damaged homes can be polluted with lead, asbestos, benzene and other toxic substances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California will not leave survivors to navigate recovery alone,” Newsom said in a press release. “These new protections will make insurer obligations clearer and give homeowners more financial flexibility when they need it most.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1795\">bill\u003c/a>, AB 1795, was authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For too many wildfire survivors, the end of the fire has never meant the end of the disaster. Families have spent months, and sometimes years, fighting over whether their homes were safe while navigating confusing and inconsistent insurance claims,” Lara said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This law closes a dangerous gap that left wildfire survivors without clear standards, clear answers, and often a clear path home.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the new law, the California Air Resources Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control will develop standards for testing, remediating and restoring the lead and asbestos contamination that can come from wildfire smoke. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance companies will have to assume that smoke damage from a wildfire impact zone came from the fire — meaning homeowners will not have to find a way to prove the cause — and will have to pay for the necessary testing, remediation and the living expenses of the household until the home is fixed and safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Policyholders will still have the right to select the restoration contractors of their choice. Insurance adjusters will get specialized training for handling smoke-damage claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance broker Karl Susman, who lives in Southern California, said what he observed wasn’t so much the problem of claims getting denied, “they just were getting paid so inconsistently.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You might have one company that says, ‘We’re going to come in there, clean it all up, and we’re going to pay for you to live somewhere while we’re doing it.’ Another company would come in and say, ‘Yeah, just get a vacuum and you should be good.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other companies, he noted, might say the damage was so bad that everything in the house, including drywall, needed replacing. Each company is following interpretations of their own policies, he said, “but clearly a different outcome.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some industry groups opposed the bill, saying in part that it would increase costs for policy holders. A request for comment to the Personal Insurance Federation of California, one of the registered opponents of the bill, was not responded to by deadline. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Survivors of the LA fires were among the strongest advocates for the new law. The bill is not retroactive, however, so survivors will not in general be able to take care of the newfound clarity around insurance company’s responsibilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the consumer protection win was celebrated by advocates, including Amy Bach, executive director of San Francisco-based advocacy group United Policyholders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The organization “has been fighting for over a decade to get insurers to routinely test and thoroughly restore wildfire-damaged homes and not mislead residents that their homes are safe to move back into when they aren’t,” Bach said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Governor’s signature on AB 1795 paves the way for better outcomes and fewer disputes going forward. We commend the Commissioner’s team for the countless hours spent with survivors, insurers, scientists, and professionals to craft these protections.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation into law that establishes the nation’s first enforceable standards for testing and fixing smoke-damaged homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“For future fire survivors, they will have peace of mind as well as safety,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network. Her home suffered smoke damage during the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Ideally we’ll get some settled science on the question, ‘Is my house safe?’” Chen said. “‘What needs to be done to make it safe?”\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/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_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\">The remains of a house in Altadena, California, 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>Survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles firestorm were among the strongest advocates for changes. More than a quarter of all insurance claims stemming from the fires were for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047275/6-months-after-januarys-fires-recovery-is-just-beginning-for-many\">smoke damage\u003c/a> to homes that didn’t burn, according to estimates from the California Department of Insurance. Smoke-damaged homes can be polluted with lead, asbestos, benzene and other toxic substances. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California will not leave survivors to navigate recovery alone,” Newsom said in a press release. “These new protections will make insurer obligations clearer and give homeowners more financial flexibility when they need it most.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1795\">bill\u003c/a>, AB 1795, was authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insurance companies will have to assume that smoke damage from a wildfire impact zone came from the fire — meaning homeowners will not have to find a way to prove the cause — and will have to pay for the necessary testing, remediation and the living expenses of the household until the home is fixed and safe. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Policyholders will still have the right to select the restoration contractors of their choice. Insurance adjusters will get specialized training for handling smoke-damage claims. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The organization “has been fighting for over a decade to get insurers to routinely test and thoroughly restore wildfire-damaged homes and not mislead residents that their homes are safe to move back into when they aren’t,” Bach said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The Governor’s signature on AB 1795 paves the way for better outcomes and fewer disputes going forward. We commend the Commissioner’s team for the countless hours spent with survivors, insurers, scientists, and professionals to craft these protections.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "California sets nation’s first standards for smoke-damaged homes.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>One of the paradoxes facing people whose homes survive a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/wildfires\">wildfire\u003c/a> is that they are often still victims of it. Sometimes, they have the least help for restoring their home to how it was. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>How insurance ought to address the damage caused by heat and smoke, even if the building never caught on fire, has been unclear, leaving survivors fighting to prove their homes were unsafe and to have their claims covered — until now. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of legislation into law that establishes the nation’s first enforceable standards for testing and fixing smoke-damaged homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For future fire survivors, they will have peace of mind as well as safety,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the advocacy group Every Fire Survivor’s Network. Her home suffered smoke damage during the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ideally we’ll get some settled science on the question, ‘Is my house safe?’” Chen said. “‘What needs to be done to make it safe?”\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/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1998770\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/10/240109-CAWindStorm-076_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The remains of a house in Altadena, California, 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>Survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles firestorm were among the strongest advocates for changes. More than a quarter of all insurance claims stemming from the fires were for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12047275/6-months-after-januarys-fires-recovery-is-just-beginning-for-many\">smoke damage\u003c/a> to homes that didn’t burn, according to estimates from the California Department of Insurance. Smoke-damaged homes can be polluted with lead, asbestos, benzene and other toxic substances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California will not leave survivors to navigate recovery alone,” Newsom said in a press release. “These new protections will make insurer obligations clearer and give homeowners more financial flexibility when they need it most.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1795\">bill\u003c/a>, AB 1795, was authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For too many wildfire survivors, the end of the fire has never meant the end of the disaster. Families have spent months, and sometimes years, fighting over whether their homes were safe while navigating confusing and inconsistent insurance claims,” Lara said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This law closes a dangerous gap that left wildfire survivors without clear standards, clear answers, and often a clear path home.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the new law, the California Air Resources Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control will develop standards for testing, remediating and restoring the lead and asbestos contamination that can come from wildfire smoke. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance companies will have to assume that smoke damage from a wildfire impact zone came from the fire — meaning homeowners will not have to find a way to prove the cause — and will have to pay for the necessary testing, remediation and the living expenses of the household until the home is fixed and safe. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Policyholders will still have the right to select the restoration contractors of their choice. Insurance adjusters will get specialized training for handling smoke-damage claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Insurance broker Karl Susman, who lives in Southern California, said what he observed wasn’t so much the problem of claims getting denied, “they just were getting paid so inconsistently.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You might have one company that says, ‘We’re going to come in there, clean it all up, and we’re going to pay for you to live somewhere while we’re doing it.’ Another company would come in and say, ‘Yeah, just get a vacuum and you should be good.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other companies, he noted, might say the damage was so bad that everything in the house, including drywall, needed replacing. Each company is following interpretations of their own policies, he said, “but clearly a different outcome.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some industry groups opposed the bill, saying in part that it would increase costs for policy holders. A request for comment to the Personal Insurance Federation of California, one of the registered opponents of the bill, was not responded to by deadline. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Survivors of the LA fires were among the strongest advocates for the new law. The bill is not retroactive, however, so survivors will not in general be able to take care of the newfound clarity around insurance company’s responsibilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, the consumer protection win was celebrated by advocates, including Amy Bach, executive director of San Francisco-based advocacy group United Policyholders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The organization “has been fighting for over a decade to get insurers to routinely test and thoroughly restore wildfire-damaged homes and not mislead residents that their homes are safe to move back into when they aren’t,” Bach said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The Governor’s signature on AB 1795 paves the way for better outcomes and fewer disputes going forward. We commend the Commissioner’s team for the countless hours spent with survivors, insurers, scientists, and professionals to craft these protections.”\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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"marketplace": {
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"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.",
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"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
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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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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"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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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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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.",
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"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",
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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",
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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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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
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