California Avoids Blackouts But Heat Wave is Set to Worsen

By Bloomberg

Sep 01, 2022

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Interstate 5 shut down during the Route Fire in Castaic, California, US, on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. A fast-growing brush fire forced evacuations and the closure of I-5 near Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon as California braces for the dual onslaught of a heat wave and Labor Day weekend travel, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.

(Bloomberg) -- California called off its power-grid emergency as night fell and temperatures dropped, averting blackouts for now amid a heat wave that could threaten electricity supplies through the long Labor Day weekend.

The state’s grid operator declared a level-1 energy emergency earlier Wednesday as temperatures topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in inland areas, with residents asked to conserve power. The grid ended the emergency measures at about 8pm local time, according to a notice on its website. In a tweet, the grid said residents’ conservation efforts had made the difference.

However, it may be just a temporary reprieve. The heat is forecast to intensify through Monday, keeping power demand high and supplies tight. Governor Gavin Newsom, who signed an emergency proclamation Wednesday to free up extra electricity supplies, warned the extreme temperatures could linger for a week and asked Californians to cut back on power use.

The threat of blackouts underscores the power grid’s increasing vulnerability as climate change disrupts weather patterns. California is enduring its worst drought in 1,200 years, which has slashed hydropower production. At the same time, older gas-burning plants have been closing faster than solar, wind and battery facilities can replace them.

California’s electricity demand is forecast to build over the next week and top 48 gigawatts on Monday and Tuesday. That would be the highest since 2017, according to the California Independent System Operator, which runs most of the state’s grid.

California Lawmakers Vote to Keep its Last Nuclear Plant Online

In a boost future electricity supplies, California legislators voted to extend the life of the state’s last nuclear power plant by five years as protection against blackouts -- provided the federal government pays much of the cost.

The legislature approved a proposal by Newsom to keep the Diablo Canyon plant, owned by PG&E Corp., running through 2030, rather than closing as previously planned in 2025.

(Updates with nuclear extension from sixth paragraph.)

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By David R. Baker