California heatwave triggers fear of second set of blackouts in 2 years
A blistering heatwave in California is putting record strain on its electric grid, with power managers urging residents to turn up thermostats and turn off appliances to avoid rolling blackouts on Tuesday evening.
The California Independent System Operator, which co-ordinates the flow of electricity across most of the state, forecast power use of more than 51,000 megawatts at 5:30pm on Tuesday, a level that would surpass a previous high set in 2006. As of Monday, the agency had identified “supply deficiencies” of up to 3,400MW at the peak hour.
The warning comes days into a heatwave that has baked much of the US west. Temperatures were forecast to reach above 110F (43C) in the interior of the state on Tuesday, breaking records, before gradually decreasing later in the week, according to the National Weather Service.
California has been able to avoid its second set of rolling blackouts in two years through conservation during the early evening hours, when air conditioning use surges and supply drops as the setting sun reduces output from the state’s vast solar power sector.
Caiso, the grid operator, said customers could curtail power use between 4pm and 9pm by adjusting thermostats, turning off lights they do not need, avoiding the use of appliances and refraining from charging electric vehicles. Utilities in adjacent states, such as Berkshire Hathaway-owned NV Energy in Nevada, have made similar requests.
“Over the last several days we have seen a positive impact on lowering demand because of everyone’s help, but now we need a reduction in energy use that is two or three times greater than what we’ve seen so far as this historic heatwave continues to intensify,” said Elliot Mainzer, Caiso chief executive.
The situation shows how the increasing frequency of extreme temperatures is affecting even the richest parts of the world. At $3.4tn in 2021, California’s economy is the largest in the US and outstrips those of countries including the UK, India and France.
California is also at the forefront of a transition to a lower-carbon energy system that leans heavily on electricity. Last month it enacted rules to phase out sales of new petrol-powered vehicles by 2035. The state legislature also passed a law to extend the life of California’s last nuclear plant, the 2,240MW Diablo Canyon, as a steady source of zero-carbon power.
Extreme heat last led to rolling blackouts in the state in August 2020 — the first time in 20 years — after the grid was pushed to the brink by what officials dubbed a “1-in-30 year weather event”. A report later blamed those blackouts on a combination of climate change, inadequate planning in the state’s transition to intermittent wind and solar power and issues in the energy trading market.
Gavin Newsom, California governor, said that while the state had since taken steps to address the problems, including adding 4,000MW of supply to the grid and developing emergency measures, this year’s crisis was exacerbated by drought conditions limiting the availability of hydroelectric power, as well as the length of the current heatwave. Last week he declared a state of emergency in a bid to free up extra power resources during the heatwave.
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