The state of California is on the verge of implementing rolling blackouts due to increased strain on the power grid due to the heat wave.
The Independent Grid Operator (CAISO), which manages the state’s power grid, issued an “Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 2” on the night of the 6th, one step before the forced blackouts began. Electricity use in the state soared to its highest level since 2017 late Wednesday night as temperatures topped 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) and more homes and businesses are using air conditioners.
CAISO Chief Executive Officer Elliot Meinser said at a press conference on the same day that consumers would need to increase their energy savings by two or three times to avoid blackouts. pointed out that there is
CAISO also declared a power transmission emergency for the northern part of the state. Backup generation is needed to relieve the load in the area, he said.
Power grid in Vacaville, California
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Original title:California Ratchets Up Grid Emergency as Blackouts Loom (3)(excerpt)
(Add EEA2 announcement and update)