In the California of tomorrow's headlines, where electrical blackouts have become commonplace and the economy is faltering, geophysicist Will Spark seeks to develop a reliable energy source hidden beneath the marshy Sacramento Delta. But to do that and enable a seamless transition to a carbon-free electrical grid, he and a handful of intrepid private landowners and one courageous journalist must overcome craven state leaders, Gaia-worshiping bureaucrats, and determined eco-terrorists.