California governor calls for investigation of power outages

(Bloomberg) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for an investigation into why authorities failed to anticipate the need for blackouts that have plunged millions of people into darkness.

In the past 72 hours, the state instituted the first targeted outages since the 2001 energy crisis to protect a system strained by a crash in air conditioning demand during a heat wave. The region’s power grid operator warned of more rotating outages until Wednesday, with temperatures expected to reach 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius) in parts of the state.

“These blackouts, which have occurred without prior warning or sufficient preparation time, are unacceptable and unacceptable for the country’s largest and most innovative state,” Newsom said in a statement.

Part of the problem is California’s rapid switch to natural gas. About 9 gigawatts of gas production, enough to power 6.8 million homes, has been pulled over the past five years as the state increasingly turns to renewables, according to BloombergNEF. This leaves fewer options when the sun goes down and solar production declines.

Normally, California can import enough electricity from neighboring states when supplies are tight. But the sprawling heat wave sweeping the American West is pushing power plants to the max in the region.

“California is in a difficult situation,” said Brian Bartholomew, analyst for BNEF. “He took out a lot of gas. And the storage that is supposed to help you is not yet live. “

Newsom, a Democrat, also signed an order that will temporarily allow users and utilities to use backup generators to alleviate the need for power outages.

At 10 a.m. local time, it was already 93 degrees in Sacramento. With rising temperatures, demand for electricity in the state is expected to hit over 49,700 megawatts on Monday afternoon, just below the all-time high set in 2006. Electricity prices have more than doubled at most. high in five months.

Since Friday, millions of Californians have been suddenly plunged into darkness without warning as utilities work to prevent the state’s grid from collapsing. As Covid-19 continues to spread, the helpless have been faced with a difficult choice between enduring the heat at home and seeking help elsewhere in a state that has reported more infections than any other. These blackouts come less than a year after California utilities deliberately cut power to millions of people to prevent their power lines from starting fires during unusually strong windstorms – all extreme weather events rendered more frequent by climate change.

Read more: Blaming climate change for heat wave misery: Green Insight

The relentless heat is starting to wreak havoc on California’s electricity system. Transformers – the metal cylinders placed atop utility poles – can malfunction and catch fire if they don’t cool overnight. And temperatures in parts of Southern California are expected to stay in the low 80s overnight. In a deadly 10-day heat wave in 2006, state utilities lost more than 1,500 of these devices, with each department wiping out a neighborhood in the process.

The heat wave on the west coast stems from a stubborn high pressure system that has parked across the Great Basin covering Nevada and other western states. It basically acts like a cover trapping hot air, and there’s no indication that it will move soon.

These phenomena, sometimes called thermal domes, worsen because the Earth’s climate changes. As the planet warms, the contrast between heat at the equator and cold at the pole diminishes. This undermines the strength of the jet stream, which would otherwise be able to push the ridges out of the way. This partly explains why extreme heat has blanketed regions around the world in recent weeks.

Read more: Japan heat wave hits record as Tokyo death toll rises to 53

Extreme weather conditions have taken their toll on power grids in recent weeks. Earlier this month, millions of people lost power in the U.S. Midwest after a wall of lightning, hail and deadly winds tore a ruined path from central Iowa to Chicago. Days earlier, Tropical Storm Isaias darkened millions of homes in the Carolinas, Connecticut.

Soaring temperatures have already shattered records across California. According to the National Weather Service, Los Angeles International Airport hit a daily record of 93 degrees, breaking a record of 85 degrees set in 1994. Death Valley hit 130 degrees for the first time since 1913. If validated , the weather service said it will be the hottest August temperature ever.

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