Infrastructure

Nearly a third of local agencies maintaining Central Valley levees have performed “unacceptable” upkeep, some for years, yet the Department of Water Resources hasn’t taken over as state law requires. State water managers dispute the findings, saying maintenance is only one factor in flood risk and takeovers can cost tens of millions of dollars up front.

As El Nino nears, California found 57 dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition, and regulators have never yet penalized an owner.

Congress is considering bills allowing trucks to exceed 80,000 pounds. That would further damage California’s aging bridges and congested roads.

The University of California system says lifting tracking requirements will make managing hazardous waste more efficient. Hundreds of other waste handlers will benefit too, but the state hasn't identified them.

For months, a plan to create an infrastructure financing agency largely shielded from the public eye sailed smoothly through the state Senate. Lawmakers only backtracked when transparency advocates sounded the alarm.

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to lead a state infrastructure project paid for by an outside nonprofit. The nonprofit relied on fundraising from special interests to cover the costs, but did not have to disclose the identity of those donors because of how the arrangement was structured.

Infrastructure issues at California’s public universities are hindering students and faculty’s ability to learn and work on campus. Lawmakers and system leaders are hoping more state support can help them bring down the $17 billion price tag to fix their academic buildings.

For the last century, the money has gone to counties with large amounts of federal land that can’t be taxed. Congress failed to include it in the upcoming budget.

California needs to "facilitate new construction at an unprecedented scale" to solve housing, water and climate issues, a legislative report says.

California's lack of hydrogen fuel infrastructure is restricting its ability to become a legitimate alternative, and the state needs every transportation option to meet its climate goals, argues a hydrogen vehicle owner