Fusion is cool, but fission is easy and if used on Thorium in LFTRs[1], would provide us with virtually unlimited, passively safe energy that leaves extremely little waste.

Unfortunately it falls under the 'nuclear' umbrella and thus carries with it all of the baggage associated with that.

5 minute elevator pitch for the LFTR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK367T7h6ZY

Failing that, I don't understand why we can't just connect a pipe (like we do with oil) from one of our water rich states to CA.

But for whatever reason the state doesn't seem to be even considering any engineering solutions to the problem.

[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_fluoride_thorium_reactor