Prices convey information and shape behavior

Great Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times - Water conservation's other benefit: It's a power saver.  From the piece:

"The energy cost of water also varies by locale. Water transported to Southern California is almost three times as energy intensive as water moved in the northern part of the state. Likewise, it's more expensive to bring water to houses atop the Hollywood Hills than to those in the flatlands. Some uses consume more energy as well. Watering outdoor plants, which results in no sewage treatment, demands less energy than, say, running the dishwasher.

The biggest spigot, though, is the agricultural sector, which consumes 80% of the state's water. Water used for farming requires less treatment and doesn't wind up in the sewer, so it's less energy intensive per gallon. Still, the volume dwarfs any other water use.

The energy needed to move agricultural water exceeds the electricity used by everyone in San Diego.
How then might we conserve all of the water — and energy — sloshing around the state? We could brainstorm more uses for dropped ice cubes. (More wine drinking, one colleague suggests.) Or there's a simpler, far more efficient way to achieve the same end: Let better pricing do the work for us."