Melvin Ladousier: Why isn’t governor pushing for more hydroelectricity?

Re “Brown signs bill on renewable energy” (Page 6A, Oct. 8): The story says the bill will require California “to dramatically increase the proportion of electricity the state derives from renewable sources,” i.e., wind and solar.

What is conspicuously absent from this list of available sources? Why is hydroelectric not a top priority in creating renewable power sources? Heaven forbid the legislature kill the governor’s train project by diverting cap-and-trade funds from the high-speed rail to build dams for hydroelectric power production. Such a move would kill two birds with the same stone. Dams would provide both carbon-free power and at the same time dramatically increase water storage to lessen the immediate affects of future droughts.

We should be asking the legislature why power companies are not being given full carbon credit for every kilowatt of hydroelectric power produced. As is commonly said “something is rotten in Denmark.” Is not the economic and environmental future of California more important than the “legacy” of an individual governor?

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Melvin Ladousier: Why isn’t governor pushing for more hydroelectricity?."