Energy — The California Magazine https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/ California business, technology, real estate, and culture — reporting on the people building the state's economy. en-us © 2026 The California Magazine Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:13:39 GMT How to read a California electricity bill https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/how-to-read-a-california-electricity-bill/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/how-to-read-a-california-electricity-bill/ Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:10:16 GMT The rate you pay depends on when you use power, how much you have already used this month, and which of several charges you are looking at. Dana Whitfield Energy How California water rights work, and why they are so contested https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/how-california-water-rights-work/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/how-california-water-rights-work/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:18:34 GMT Two overlapping systems, both older than most of the state's infrastructure, allocate a resource that is now routinely oversubscribed. Dana Whitfield Energy How net billing changed the economics of rooftop solar https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/how-net-billing-changed-rooftop-solar-economics/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/how-net-billing-changed-rooftop-solar-economics/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:18:34 GMT Exported power is now valued at what it is worth to the grid at that hour, not at the retail rate. That single change reshaped payback maths. Dana Whitfield Energy Why California utilities spend so much on wildfire mitigation https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/why-california-utilities-spend-so-much-on-wildfire/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/why-california-utilities-spend-so-much-on-wildfire/ Sat, 29 Aug 2026 21:18:34 GMT Liability rules make utilities responsible for fires their equipment starts, regardless of negligence. That is the pressure behind every undergrounding programme. Dana Whitfield Energy How California's grid operator keeps supply and demand in balance https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/how-california-grid-operator-balances-supply-and-demand/ https://thecaliforniamagazine.com/energy/how-california-grid-operator-balances-supply-and-demand/ Wed, 26 Aug 2026 17:29:21 GMT Electricity has to be produced at the instant it is used. Here is the machinery that makes that happen across the state, every five minutes. Dana Whitfield Energy