Business Maverick: California grid facing higher risk of outages as heat builds

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The strained power grid is set to come under even more stress on Monday because of a punishing heat wave, increasing the chance of blackouts in the US state.

California’s grid operator forecasts an energy deficit of 2,000 to 4,000 megawatts on Monday “and the highest likelihood of rotating outages that we’ve seen so far”, said Elliot Mainzer, its chief executive officer.

The threat to the power system is another reminder of how grids have become vulnerable in the face of extreme weather as they transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. California has retired many of its older natural-gas fired power plants, leaving the state increasingly reliant on solar farms that go dark late in the day as demand for electricity peaks. At the same time, the state is enduring its worst drought in 1,200 years, sapping hydropower production.

A grid emergency watch is in effect for Sunday night as well as Monday. Demand for electricity on Tuesday is expected to near 50.1 gigawatts, just shy of the all-time record of 50.2 gigawatts set in 2006. The grid operator expects additional calls for reducing energy use with record-breaking temperatures lasting at least through to Friday, Caiso said in a statement late Sunday.

 

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They should all buy electric cars. Problem solved.

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