Water and Energy in California

California moves more water than any other region in North America, and in doing so embeds a great deal of energy in its water. The California State Water Project (which delivers water to two-thirds of California’s population in northern and southern California) is the nation's largest state-built water conveyance and power development system. Portions of southern California also rely heavily on water extracted from the Colorado River. In order to transport the water from Northern California to Southern California via the State Water Project, a lot of pumping is required, as gravity alone is not sufficient to move that water.