Amidst Intense Heat, California Declares Grid Emergency, Officials Fear Mass Blackout

As electricity usage approaches a five-year high, California declares a grid emergency. As a scorching heat wave sends temperatures soaring into the triple digits, officials worry that blackouts will occur in the nation's biggest state.

(Photo : Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Grid Emergency

When the system operator's ability to fulfill its main performance goal (PPO) responsibilities is in jeopardy, people or equipment are in danger, or when the system operator needs to act quickly to restore PPOs, a grid emergency arises.

Increased Usage

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As energy consumption reached a five-year high during an intense heat wave, California officials declared a power grid emergency on Monday afternoon.

In other places, the temperature went beyond 110 degrees. As America's largest state was expected to break an energy consumption record established in 2017, millions of individuals and businesses turned up their air conditioning.

Also Read: Extreme Heat Waves Can Cause More Power Outages

Potential Blackouts

(Photo : Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

The Stage 1 emergency was declared due to the significant possibility of blackouts. According to authorities, consumers must increase or perhaps treble their efforts to save power if blackouts are to be avoided.

To prevent stress on the power infrastructure and the possibility of rolling blackouts, state authorities are advising residents of California to reduce their electricity consumption while they turn up the air conditioning during a heat wave.

Elliot Mainzer, the chief executive officer of the California Independent System Operator (Caiso), which manages the state's grid, stated that "the possibility for rotational outages has considerably increased." At a Monday media event, he stated that increasing conservation measures would be crucial as we reach the most extreme part of this heat wave.

He continued by saying that the grid might experience "energy shortfalls" of up to 10% of the regular demand for power, which could bring up to 3 million households offline.

Extreme Heat Warning

For the next four days, an extreme heat warning will continue to apply to much of California. On Monday, a high of 119 degrees was predicted for the Sacramento Valley.

Caiso would need to adopt other measures to preserve energy, such as introducing rotational blackouts, if consumer conservation proves ineffective. A PG&E outage map showed that thousands of residences in Napa Valley were already without electricity.

The temperature in Downtown Los Angeles surpassed 100 degrees for the first time this year on Sunday, when it reached 103.

With a temperature of 127 degrees last Thursday, Death Valley National Park in California set a new heat record. September's temperature was the highest ever noted. Officials in California have issued a warning that when kids return to the classroom and companies reopen following the holiday weekend, the state may once more set an all-time high for power consumption on Tuesday.

Declaring Emergency

The high temperatures increase the risk of wildfires, which endangers electrical grids and energy supplies. Ironically, California Gov. Gavin Newsom requested drivers not to charge their cars during periods of high power demand last week. However, the state is moving toward electric vehicles to combat climate change.