Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Water and Energy connections in CA

* The California State Water Project is the largest single user of energy in California. In the process of delivering water from the San Francisco Bay-Delta to Southern California, the project uses 2 to 3 percent of all electricity consumed in the state.


* The State Water Project burns energy pumping water 2,000 feet over the Tehachapi Mountains -- the highest lift of any water system in the world. The amount of energy used to deliver that water to residential customers in Southern California is equivalent to approximately one-third of the total average household electric use in the region.


* Ninety percent of all electricity used on farms is devoted to pumping groundwater for irrigation.