California Power Grid Faces Overwhelming Demand In Ongoing Heat Wave

SAN FRANCISCO — California is facing its highest chance of blackouts this year as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket the state with triple-digit temperatures, according to a report published by San Francisco’s CBS 5.

State energy officials said the electrical load Tuesday afternoon could top 51,000 megawatts, the highest demand the state has ever seen.

In the interior areas of the East Bay — where temperatures had only dropped to the low 80s at 2 a.m. Tuesday — daytime highs are forecast for 94 in Alameda, 96 in Berkeley, 100 in San Leandro, 101 in Newark and 103 in Union City, Castro Valley and Fremont.

Overnight lows are expected in the 60s and 70s.

As people crank up their air conditioners to beat the heat, the state forecast record levels of energy use, Elliot Mainzer, president of California Independent System Operators, which runs the state's electrical grid, told CBS 5.

“This is an extraordinary heat event we are experiencing, and the efforts by consumers to lean in and reduce their energy use after 4 p.m. are absolutely essential,” Mainzer, said in a news release issued by CAISO Tuesday.

The CAISO website Tuesday morning showed California could fall more than 5,000 megawatts short of its power supply at peak demand, forecast for 5:30 p.m., CBS 5 said.

According to CBS 5, “California's energy grid runs on a mix of mostly solar and natural gas during the day, along with some imports of power from other states. But solar power begins to fall off during the late afternoon and into the evening, which is the hottest time of day in some parts of the state. And some of the aging natural gas plants California relies on for backup power aren't as reliable in hot weather.”

The CASIO news release reported the group declared an “Energy Emergency Alert 1” The EEA emergency designation signals to utilities and consumers that all resources are committed or forecast to be in use, and that energy deficiencies are expected.

A Flex Alert urging consumers to reduce their power use in the late afternoon and evening is also in effect through today, marking seven consecutive days the call to cut demand has been issued, the news release said.

The Flex Alert calls for voluntary conservation between 4 and 10 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6. Consumers are urged to keep air conditioners set at 78 degrees or higher and avoid using major appliances such as dryers and dishwashers throughout the life of the alert.

CAISO said it would monitor a host of factors including wildfires and generator availability, and that grid operators will determine later Tuesday if the emergency notifications need to be elevated to an EEA 2 or beyond.

“Over the last several days we have seen a positive impact on lowering demand because of everyone’s help,” Mainzer said. “But now we need a reduction in energy use that is two or three times greater than what we’ve seen so far as this historic heat wave continues to intensify.”

Read more at CBS 5.