California heat, poor planning led to August power outages
3 years, 11 months ago

California heat, poor planning led to August power outages

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Energy regulators on Wednesday blamed blackouts last summer that affected hundreds of thousands of Californians on poor planning, electrical market problems and an extreme heat wave that blanketed the West. California was sweltering under a “historic” heat wave, with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal affecting 32 million residents and the temperature didn’t cool off much overnight, meaning air conditioners continued to run, the report said. “The extreme heat wave negatively impacted conventional generation, which typically operates less efficiently during temperature extremes,” the report said. The report said energy agencies are already taking actions to avoid similar outages during expected heat waves next summer.

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History of this topic

Here’s where 350,000 SoCal residents could lose power due to Santa Ana winds
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Here’s where 350,000 SoCal residents could lose power due to Santa Ana winds

LA Times  

With dangerously strong winds forecast across Southern California this week, utilities are considering shutoffs for safety. California’s three largest utility companies are all considering shutting off power in regions where dangerously strong winds are expected to heighten wildfire risk this week. More than 350,000 customers from Kern to San Diego counties could lose power amid the planned safety shutoffs. Southern …

Where Southern California Edison has shut off power to its customers
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Where Southern California Edison has shut off power to its customers

LA Times  

An extreme wind event has prompted Southern California Edison to shut off power to thousands of customers across the region. Two fires ignited amid a Santa Ana wind event that was generating 70- to 80-mph wind gusts in Ventura and Los Angeles counties on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of utility customers across the region lost power as of Wednesday afternoon …

Dangerous winds pummel California. Could power shutoffs affect voting across the state?
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Dangerous winds pummel California. Could power shutoffs affect voting across the state?

LA Times  

Power shutoffs amid dangerous winds could affect almost 240,000 across California this week, but officials say there should be no voting disruptions, even if some polling locations lose electricity. On Monday, much of the Los Angeles and Ventura county mountains remained under a red flag warning — an alert for extreme fire weather — because of strong Santa Ana winds …

Southern California residents losing power amid summer heat wave
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Southern California residents losing power amid summer heat wave

LA Times  

Heat rises from the pavement as a cyclist pedals along the Arroyo Seco outside the Rose Bowl. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said it had restored power to half the homes that were dark Sunday night and Southern California Edison said they were also working to restore energy services to residents, but warned people to limit their …

Dangerous heat threatens millions of Texans without power for days in largest outage in utility’s history
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Dangerous heat threatens millions of Texans without power for days in largest outage in utility’s history

CNN  

CNN — Life-threatening heat is gripping southeast Texas, where more than 1.5 million homes and businesses remain without power and air conditioning for a third day after Beryl caused major power outages, including the largest in one major energy provider’s history. “We have never seen an incident of this magnitude – this is the largest outage in our history,” Brad …

California heat: A ‘potentially historic’ heat wave intensifies along the West Coast, as dangerous wildfires spread
5 months, 2 weeks ago

California heat: A ‘potentially historic’ heat wave intensifies along the West Coast, as dangerous wildfires spread

CNN  

CNN — An extremely dangerous, unusually long heat wave is intensifying and spreading up the West Coast – and there will be no relief for days. “This level of heat throughout parts of the Mojave Desert and Sacramento/San Joaquin valleys of California could pose a risk to anyone if proper heat safety is not followed,” the weather service said. Parts …

The toll of extreme heat rises in California as OSHA advances worker protections
5 months, 3 weeks ago

The toll of extreme heat rises in California as OSHA advances worker protections

LA Times  

As California heads into a dangerous holiday heat wave that will blanket millions of residents in triple-digit temperatures, state and federal officials are vowing to do more to address the worsening threat — and the rising costs — of extreme heat. Explore the section At the same time, California’s Department of Insurance this week released a first-of-its kind analysis revealing …

Extended California heat wave brings extreme health, fire risk; power shutoffs likely
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Extended California heat wave brings extreme health, fire risk; power shutoffs likely

LA Times  

Temperatures in the 90s spur people to head to the San Gabriel Mountains to take a dip in Lytle Creek. “Across inland areas, as well as at higher elevations, it’s entirely possible that temperatures may be continuously above average for the next 2+ weeks–straight, into mid-July.” He said the duration of the heat event, caused by a type of high-pressure …

Major heat wave expected to broil much of California over Fourth of July week
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Major heat wave expected to broil much of California over Fourth of July week

LA Times  

A beachgoer leaps over a breaking wave while heading into the water with her body board at Balboa Pier in Newport Beach earlier this month. A major heat wave expected across California over Fourth of July week is already prompting heat warnings for much of the state, with triple-digit temperatures forecast and little overnight relief. Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate …

Poll: California should do more to respond to extreme heat waves, voters say
1 year, 3 months ago

Poll: California should do more to respond to extreme heat waves, voters say

LA Times  

Heat rises from freshly paved asphalt as a worker carries an umbrella to ward off the sun in July, in Woodland Hills. As California endures the increasing likelihood of record heat waves driven by climate change, voters are questioning government’s response to sweltering conditions and say they would welcome stronger policies to help minimize heat’s impact. More than three-fourths of …

Are you ready for a blackout? How Californians can keep their lights on
1 year, 4 months ago

Are you ready for a blackout? How Californians can keep their lights on

LA Times  

Most Californians expect to endure multiple blackouts this summer. Portable batteries for limited power If you have modest goals — for example, keeping your refrigerator running, or just recharging your phones — a portable “power station” could be a good solution, said Joe O’Brien-Applegate, an energy expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council. These devices can supply enough power “to …

Extreme heat moves east where many will see their hottest days of the year
1 year, 4 months ago

Extreme heat moves east where many will see their hottest days of the year

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Carlos Reyes sought shade under a tree in the Bronx on a day that felt like it was over 100 degrees because of the heat and humidity. Dangerous heat engulfed much of the eastern half of the United States Friday as extreme temperatures spread from the Midwest into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic where some residents saw their …

California has new weapons to battle summer blackouts: Battery storage, power from record rain
1 year, 4 months ago

California has new weapons to battle summer blackouts: Battery storage, power from record rain

LA Times  

An aircraft takes off from Los Angeles International Airport behind electric power lines at sunset It’s a summertime sequence that’s become all too familiar in California: Extreme heat forces air conditioners into overdrive, which pushes the state’s power grid to the brink. “In general, we’re doing better this summer because we have better hydro, we have more batteries.” Since last …

A blistering heat wave is turning up the pressure on Texas’ power grid
1 year, 5 months ago

A blistering heat wave is turning up the pressure on Texas’ power grid

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — On another 100-degree day in Texas, Sean Whitaker lingered outside a Dallas cafe after polishing off an iced coffee, having switched off the power to everything back home except his refrigerator. As an unrelenting heat wave grips Texas for a second week, public appeals to stay hydrated and limit outdoor activities have come with another ask of …

Extreme heat means two-thirds of North America could suffer blackouts this summer
1 year, 5 months ago

Extreme heat means two-thirds of North America could suffer blackouts this summer

CNN  

New York CNN Business — The heatwave leaving tens of millions of Americans in sweltering temperatures will test the power grid’s ability to keep the lights on. Power grid officials have warned that large swaths of the United States could face blackouts if it’s a hot summer. “Two-thirds of North America is at risk of energy shortfalls this summer during …

Sweltering heat tests Texas’ power grid and patience as thousands in South still without electricity
1 year, 6 months ago

Sweltering heat tests Texas’ power grid and patience as thousands in South still without electricity

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ power grid operator asked residents Tuesday to voluntarily cut back on electricity due to anticipated record demand on the system as a heat wave kept large swaths of the state and southern U.S. in triple-digit temperatures. “The delay in restoring power has caused significant hardship for their customers and it is unacceptable,” said Brent Bailey, a …

Facing heat wave, Texas’ power grid operator asks customers to cut electricity use
1 year, 6 months ago

Facing heat wave, Texas’ power grid operator asks customers to cut electricity use

LA Times  

A man takes advantage of the shade Tuesday in a playground in the Hungry Hill neighborhood of Austin, Texas. Sweltering heat across the South came amid outages caused by weekend storms and tornadoes, and threatened to overload Texas’ power grid. Texas’ power grid operator asked residents Tuesday to voluntarily cut back on electricity due to anticipated record demand on the …

Power outages continue across southern US; triple-digit heat wave grips Texas
1 year, 6 months ago

Power outages continue across southern US; triple-digit heat wave grips Texas

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than 100,000 customers in …

California’s blistering heat sparked power shortages last summer. Here’s this year’s forecast
1 year, 6 months ago

California’s blistering heat sparked power shortages last summer. Here’s this year’s forecast

LA Times  

Water flows through the Oroville Dam spillway at Lake Oroville in California’s Butte County on March 25. That fact, combined with record expansion of utility-scale solar power and battery storage, has energy forecasters confident that the state can avoid the potentially dangerous electricity shortfalls of the sort that came with last September’s 10-day heat wave, according to state officials at …

California’s epic heat wave is over. Here’s what we learned
2 years, 3 months ago

California’s epic heat wave is over. Here’s what we learned

LA Times  

This is the Sept. 15, 2022, edition of Boiling Point, a weekly newsletter about climate change and the environment in California and the American West. The panelists included several government officials charged with solving these problems, including Marty Adams, general manager of the L.A. Department of Water and Power; Stacey Crowley of the California Independent System Operator, which operates the …

Op-Ed: California’s giant new batteries kept the lights on during the heat wave
2 years, 3 months ago

Op-Ed: California’s giant new batteries kept the lights on during the heat wave

LA Times  

Cubes at the Kearny Energy Storage battery project in San Diego help to smooth the spikes and dips of supply and demand in California’s electric grid. For the record: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that batteries contributed 50 megawatts on average to California’s grid during two peak hours of an August 2020 heat wave. During a critical …

California avoids outages after day of grid-straining heat
2 years, 3 months ago

California avoids outages after day of grid-straining heat

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — California avoided rolling outages during extreme heat, as operators of the state’s electricity grid continued to warn that unprecedented demand on energy supplies could force them to periodically cut power to some customers. The California Independent System Operator on Wednesday thanked residents and businesses for heeding another “flex alert,” a request to reduce electricity consumption during peak …

A phone alert may have prevented blackouts during California heatwave
2 years, 3 months ago

A phone alert may have prevented blackouts during California heatwave

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As people switched on their air conditioners to stay cool, the state’s electrical grid operator warned that electricity demand …

California weathers heat wave without rolling blackouts
2 years, 3 months ago

California weathers heat wave without rolling blackouts

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A brutal Western heat wave brought California to the verge of ordering rolling blackouts but the state’s electrical grid managed to handle record-breaking demand. The state’s 39 million people were warned Tuesday that demand — some of it from people cranking up the air conditioning — might outstrip supply as temperatures in many areas soared past 100 …

A text asked millions of Californians to save energy. They paid heed, averting blackouts
2 years, 3 months ago

A text asked millions of Californians to save energy. They paid heed, averting blackouts

LA Times  

After narrowly avoiding blackouts, California faces another bruising test of its power grid Thursday as a heat wave smothering the region builds, driving temperatures to dangerous levels. About 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, millions of Californians’ cellphones lit up with a new type of emergency alert: “Conserve energy now to protect public health and safety.” That text message proved crucial in helping …

California facing chance of blackouts amid brutal heat wave
2 years, 3 months ago

California facing chance of blackouts amid brutal heat wave

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — California is facing its highest chance of blackouts this year as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket the state with triple-digit temperatures. As people crank up their air conditioners, the state forecasted record levels of energy use, said Elliot Mainzer, president of California Independent System Operators, which runs the state’s electrical grid. The state has additional …

Heatwave pushes California’s energy grid to its limits
2 years, 3 months ago

Heatwave pushes California’s energy grid to its limits

Al Jazeera  

California is facing the possibility of blackouts as a brutal heatwave pushes demand on the western US state’s energy grid beyond previous records, prompting authorities to urge residents to limit their electricity usage. Learn how to keep your family safe at https://t.co/Ynl3VCdFFD pic.twitter.com/IO2MwZQId7 — National Weather Service September 6, 2022 Along with some power imported from out of state, California’s …

Here’s how to prepare for a blackout in a heat wave
2 years, 3 months ago

Here’s how to prepare for a blackout in a heat wave

LA Times  

Are you at risk of a power outage? If outages are initiated, consumers can expect to receive notifications from power providers on areas affected and time duration.” That means it’s a good time to prepare to lose power. “If you’re staying at home and there’s a prolonged outage, you want to use perishable food from the fridge first, then the …

California averts widespread rolling blackouts as energy demands ease amid heat wave
2 years, 3 months ago

California averts widespread rolling blackouts as energy demands ease amid heat wave

LA Times  

A surfer paddles out at Huntington Beach. For nearly three hours Tuesday night, California officials warned of imminent rolling blackouts as the state’s electrical grid struggled to keep up with surging demand during a punishing heat wave. At 8 p.m., the California Independent System Operator downgraded its level 3 alert, the final step before calling for rolling blackouts, saying that …

Chance of California power outages up as heat wave worsens
2 years, 3 months ago

Chance of California power outages up as heat wave worsens

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s chance of power outages will grow in the coming days, as the state prepares to enter the most brutal stretch yet of an ongoing heat wave, officials said Sunday. Grid managers have several options available before power outages, like tapping backup generators, buying more power from other states and using so-called demand response programs, where people …

SoCal heat wave: A Labor Day of extreme temps, thunderstorms, fears of power supply problems
2 years, 3 months ago

SoCal heat wave: A Labor Day of extreme temps, thunderstorms, fears of power supply problems

LA Times  

LAPD Officer Francisco Serrano tries to stay cool Sunday. Highs between 105 and 110 degrees are expected across broad swaths of the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys, as well as communities in lower mountain elevations, said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Oxnard office. Flex Alerts call for consumers to reduce energy use from …

Record temperatures, raging fires, a strained power grid: California heat wave in full effect
2 years, 3 months ago

Record temperatures, raging fires, a strained power grid: California heat wave in full effect

LA Times  

Firefighters were briefly pulled off the front lines of the Route fire near Castaic on Thursday afternoon due to triple-digit heat, leaving the battle to aircraft. Near the Route fire, temperatures soared to 111 degrees Thursday, said Tom Fisher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, citing data from a Southern California Edison gauge near Castaic Lake. “It’s …

California heat waves are getting worse. Blame the vicious ‘heat dome’
2 years, 3 months ago

California heat waves are getting worse. Blame the vicious ‘heat dome’

LA Times  

The high-pressure system over most of California is expected to bring record-breaking temperatures, part of a “self-perpetuating” system that is becoming more extreme as climate change worsens. The extreme temperatures that will bear down on California over the next week are the result of a “heat dome,” a phenomenon that typically brings broiling conditions to the state as summer fades …

Extreme heat wave pushing California power grid to limit, with rolling blackouts possible
2 years, 3 months ago

Extreme heat wave pushing California power grid to limit, with rolling blackouts possible

LA Times  

California officials issued a Flex Alert on Wednesday to cope with what’s expected to be the worst heat wave of the year. The worst heat wave of the year is presenting a critical test for California’s overtaxed power grid, with officials warning rolling blackouts are possible without major conservation efforts during a week of scorching temperatures. California officials on Wednesday …

First day of heat wave brings record temperatures to Southern California
2 years, 3 months ago

First day of heat wave brings record temperatures to Southern California

LA Times  

A pedestrian walks along the path at Echo Park Lake on Tuesday in Los Angeles as the region braced for a heat wave expected to last into next week. Woodland Hills reached 112 degrees, breaking the previous daily record of 111 degrees set on Aug. 31, 1998, according to the National Weather Service office in Oxnard. Burbank’s high of 112 …

California prepares for energy shortfalls in hot, dry summer
2 years, 7 months ago

California prepares for energy shortfalls in hot, dry summer

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California likely will have an energy shortfall equivalent to what it takes to power about 1.3 million homes when use is at its peak during the hot and dry summer months, state officials said Friday. They represented the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, and the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s energy …

Storms batter aging power grid as climate disasters spread
2 years, 8 months ago

Storms batter aging power grid as climate disasters spread

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Power outages from severe …

Thousands of Californians could lose power to prevent wildfire
3 years, 4 months ago

Thousands of Californians could lose power to prevent wildfire

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Thousands of Californias are likely to lose power amid a service shutdown to prevent a …

Heat wave spurs flex alert: What to know about this weekend’s weather
3 years, 5 months ago

Heat wave spurs flex alert: What to know about this weekend’s weather

LA Times  

Customers cool off under a downtown mister in Palm Springs, where the temperature soared to 110 degrees. Another heat wave is sweeping across Southern California this weekend, triggering a statewide flex alert and excessive heat warnings. Excessive heat warnings Much of Southern California will be blanketed until Monday morning by excessive heat warnings for dangerously hot temperatures, some as high …

California faces extreme heat that may push power supply to brink
3 years, 5 months ago

California faces extreme heat that may push power supply to brink

Al Jazeera  

The historic heat wave in the US state – with temperatures reaching up to 44C – is also adding to the already high wildlife risk and record drought. California and neighboring states are facing another historic heat wave that may push power supplies to the brink and is adding to already high wildfire risk amid record drought. “The heat wave …

Editorial: Record-setting heat wave shows that climate change is creating hell on Earth
3 years, 5 months ago

Editorial: Record-setting heat wave shows that climate change is creating hell on Earth

LA Times  

Carlos Ramos hands out bottles of water and sack lunches Monday as he works at a hydration station in front of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. The record-breaking heat wave baking the West Coast is another painful sign that climate change is here, and we have to adapt. If it wasn’t already clear that climate change is fueling more extreme weather …

Californians told to cut back electricity usage as heat wave threatens to knock out power grid
3 years, 6 months ago

Californians told to cut back electricity usage as heat wave threatens to knock out power grid

Daily Mail  

California residents have been instructed to cut back on their electricity use as an unrelenting heat wave threatens to overwhelm the state's power grid. California residents have been instructed to cut back on their electricity use as an unrelenting heat wave threatens to overwhelm the state's power grid ‹ Slide me › Amid the current heat wave Lake Mead, the …

Grid operators in California and Texas brace for record heat
3 years, 6 months ago

Grid operators in California and Texas brace for record heat

Al Jazeera  

With temps forecast to reach 42C, grid operators have asked residents to cut back on power use to avoid blackouts. Electric grid operators in California and Texas are struggling to keep up with crushing demand for power this week as a sprawling heat wave smothers the western U.S. Heat watches and warnings stretch for more than 1,500 miles, from Northern …

Another summer of California power outages poses threat to Newsom as he faces recall
3 years, 7 months ago

Another summer of California power outages poses threat to Newsom as he faces recall

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom, center, looks over fire devastation in Brentwood with L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, right, and others in 2019. “People will ultimately hold him responsible for the state of California, and if they can’t turn their lights on right around the time they’re voting, they’re going to be thinking about that.” The state’s three largest investor-owned utilities expect to de-energize …

California readies to prevent blackouts, but threats remain
3 years, 7 months ago

California readies to prevent blackouts, but threats remain

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s top energy regulators on Tuesday said the state is better prepared to avoid last summer’s rotating blackouts, but they cautioned the power grid of the nation’s most populous state is still vulnerable to extreme heat waves that could force more outages later this year. Blackouts have become more common in California as utility companies will often …

Power Outages Linger For Millions As Another Icy Storm Looms
3 years, 10 months ago

Power Outages Linger For Millions As Another Icy Storm Looms

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING AUSTIN, Texas — Utility crews raced Wednesday to restore power to nearly 3.4 million customers around the U.S. who were still without electricity in the aftermath of a deadly winter storm, and another blast of ice and snow threatened to sow more chaos. Texas’ power grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said electricity had been …

Texas blackouts show the power grid isn’t ready for climate change
3 years, 10 months ago

Texas blackouts show the power grid isn’t ready for climate change

LA Times  

A woman wrapped in a blanket crosses the street Tuesday near downtown Dallas. When a few hundred thousand California homes and businesses lost power for several hours last summer, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wrote that the Golden State “is now unable to perform even basic functions of civilization, like having reliable electricity.” What Texans have experienced over the last few …

California is scrambling to avoid blackouts. Your refrigerator could help
3 years, 11 months ago

California is scrambling to avoid blackouts. Your refrigerator could help

LA Times  

Sometime next summer, there’s a decent chance a heat wave will bake the American West, and California’s power grid will again be stretched to its limits. Subscribe Officials at the commission and the California Independent System Operator say they’re optimistic about so-called virtual power plants that string together hundreds or thousands of batteries, as well as “flexible demand” programs that …

California wildfires: Winds ease but fire danger remains ‘extreme’, forecasters warn
4 years ago

California wildfires: Winds ease but fire danger remains ‘extreme’, forecasters warn

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Powerful winds that pushed wildfires …

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