Energy and Water Megatrends

Megatrends are powerful strategic forces that transform economies, societies, businesses, and people. In the 20^th century, those trends included electricity, the automobile, and the internet. Today’s megatrends include globalization, digitization, demographic shifts, and climate change.

How those megatrends unfold, and what our state does to favorably position itself and prepare for those trends, will affect the quality of life in California for decades to come.

Droughts and climate change have fundamentally reshaped California’s community-owned electric and water agencies and the millions of customers they serve. Several other forces — including consumers’ ability to afford water and power service; the ability of publicly-owned electric and water agencies to recruit, develop, and retain employees; unkinking a still-snarled supply chain; and many other forces — are reshaping expectations and driving the development of policies and laws.

The California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) asked various subject-matter expects to weigh in on ten megatrends.

This series is a continuation of important conversations that help answer the question: What changes are needed to ensure that California will remain an economically vibrant and socially desirable place to live in the coming decades?

Some Megatrends, such as climate change and drought, are bigger than California acting alone. But the size of a challenge has not intimidated us before. Our state has a history of adopting innovative policies and laws that not only improve our local quality of life, but also serve as a template for other states and nations seeking to make their communities better places to live.

As you consider the ideas expressed in this policy paper, we are eager to hear your thoughts.






Megatrend #1: Decarbonization of the Energy System

Megatrend #2: Building Tomorrow's Workforce Today