Infrastructure

CA utilities commission plays dangerous game with power grid security

The latest tit-for-tat between lawmakers and the California Public Utilities Commission has brought back bad memories of an in-state — and unsolved — national security threat. The tiff began when the CPUC “hired outside lawyers as federal and state investigators

Brown’s Delta tunnel project draws strong opposition

James Poulos November 11, 2015

To his cherished high-speed rail project, Gov. Jerry Brown can now add his ambitious Delta tunnel project to the list of big plans arousing strong opposition. Especially in the Delta region itself, public opinion has turned sharply against the scheme, which

Logistical woes mount for high-speed rail

James Poulos October 27, 2015

A new special report conducted by the Los Angeles Times has thrown very cold water on the California High Speed Rail Authority’s plans for bringing a bullet train to the Golden State. Through an in-depth investigation, the paper revealed embarrassing

CA infrastructure spending hits impasse

James Poulos October 26, 2015

With big infrastructure questions still unanswered, Gov. Jerry Brown has found himself at loggerheads with lawmakers in Sacramento. From water storage to road repair and beyond, legislators have not met Brown eye to eye, raising the prospect of a protracted conflict

Can ‘Big Data’ figure out how to reduce CA gridlock?

Chris Reed October 24, 2015

The use of “Big Data” has transformed strategizing in baseball, given rise to microtargeting of individual voters in presidential campaigns and turned browsing the Internet into an unsettling experience in which users see advertisers guess what they might want to

Banks, firms not sold on bullet train

James Poulos October 22, 2015

As big banks hesitate to fund California’s high-speed rail project, Sacramento officials have turned back to state coffers to keep the effort going. In calculating the risk of loans that would likely exceed $35 billion, bankers want to see a

Legislators propose differing plans to fund state-wide highway repair

Joel Fox October 20, 2015

There is consensus that California’s roads and highways must be fixed. There is no consensus how the fix should be paid for. A Special Session legislative meeting Friday was called a first step in finding agreement to the funding problem.

China joins growing interest in CA high speed rail

James Poulos October 10, 2015

Seeking to tout its market value, California’s High Speed Rail Authority recently solicited bids for private investment, drawing dozens of responses. “Facing criticism from opponents for the lack of private investors lining up to finance the $68 billion project, the rail authority asked

Chinese firm plans L.A.-to-Vegas train

James Poulos September 27, 2015

For bemused Californians, there’s another bullet train in town, thanks to the Chinese government. More specifically, credit — $100 million worth — goes to China Railway International USA, a venture spearheaded by Beijing’s national railroad, China Railway. The consortium has ponied up

High-speed rail workshops will review environmental concerns

Kathy Hamilton September 14, 2015

The High-Speed Rail Authority has restarted an aggressive plan to finish the environmental work on the San Francisco to San Jose and the San Jose to Merced segments of the High-Speed Rail Project. Completion of the final environmental documents is