California Heat Wave Threatens Blackouts as Officials Scrambles Improving Electricity

Dismayed Californians face a threat of power interruptions and historic heat wave, prompting state officials to offer alternative power solutions

In a tweet, California Gov. Gavin Newsom shared that the state is heading into the worst part, and the risk of outages is real. He also added that the heat wave would be the hottest and longest record in September.

Due to the extreme heat wave, the record-breaking temperatures in parts of California indicated a sign of a climate crisis. In a CNN report, the high temperature can ignite wildfires resulting in the displacement of thousands of residents.

Conservation

(Photo : Pexel / Photo by Pok Rie)

To mitigate the power supply concerns, the California Independent System Operator issued an Emergency Alert 3 for a possible rotating widespread power interruption. The electricity demand on September 6 hit a whopping 52, 061 megawatts making the grid struggle its electrical demand.

Moreover, Californian residents received an alert on their mobiles that "power interruptions may occur unless you take action." The text message dropped power usage and avoided rotational power outages. It urged residents to conserve electricity consumption.

Power facilities requested communities to control their thermostats and turn off unnecessary appliances. But, disappointed Californians raised concerns over the electricity conservation as they may experience longer periods of heat waves.

As solar energy installation prices became expensive, the aging gas-fueled generators served as options for Californians for power outages. 

Power interruption solutions

In a National Geographic California Blackouts case study, it showed that the state encountered rolling blackouts in 2000 and 2001. After four years, another power outage happened due to a line failure that left 500,000 residents without electricity. In 2020, hundreds of thousands of people were in power rotations due to the lack of supply. This leaves the state officials grapple with immediate solutions.

While California is on the right path to renewable energy goals, Bob Foster, a former chair of the board governing California's grid operations, said to the Washington Post that the state should be realistic in matching its load and resources.

Other than conservation, states lacking power supply could import electricity from neighboring states. However, importation could not be possible as other states experience extreme heat waves.

Meanwhile, whether the state would compromise its non-fossil fuels pledge, Governor Newsom assured that his administration would ensure that clean energy resources are prioritized

Hurricane Kay

AccuWeather meteorologists said that Hurricane Kay is expected to hit Southern California as the state suffers from heat waves and power outages. As of September 7, 2022, Kay reached Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with 90 mph sustained winds (150 km/h), and moving north-northwest at 14 mph (22 km/h).

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that heavy rains and gusty winds would enter Southern California by Friday. The moisture surge from Hurricane Kay will help to 'gradually relax' the heat temperature by the end of the week.

Also Read: UN Report Shows that Heat Waves and Wildfires are Worsening Air Pollution 

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