California is facing the possibility of a blackout as a blistering heat wave pushes demand on the western US state’s power grid beyond previous records, prompting authorities to urge residents to cut back on electricity use. State energy officials said Tuesday afternoon’s electric load could top 51,000 megawatts, the most demand the state has ever seen. Eliot Meinger, president of the California Independent System Operator (ISO), which manages the state’s power grid, said it was “entering the most intense phase of this heat wave” and warned residents that “outages, rolling, rotating holidays are possible.” Mainzer added that it is “absolutely necessary” for people and businesses to retain power. The heatwave has unleashed extreme heat across the Pacific coast state, straining infrastructure and underscoring the challenges the extreme weather – exacerbated by the climate crisis – will pose to governments and people as they struggle to adapt. The ISO has urged residents to limit electricity use in the late afternoon and early evening as the state’s huge supply of electricity generated by the state dwindles. Oppressive heat with the potential for dozens of record high temperatures persists across the West. Learn how to keep your family safe at pic.twitter.com/IO2MwZQId7 — National Weather Service (@NWS) September 6, 2022 Along with some power imported from out of state, California’s energy grid runs mostly on a combination of solar power and natural gas during the day. However, solar power begins to decline in the late afternoon and evening, and the aging natural gas plants the state relies on for backup become less reliable in hot weather. The National Weather Service has predicted high temperatures between 37.7C and 46.1C (100F and 115F) inland California, with temperatures between 26.6C and 37.2C (80F and 99F) closer to the more temperate coasts. Several hundred thousand Californians lost power in rolling blackouts in August 2020 amid a heatwave, but the state managed to avoid a similar situation last year. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation that could allow California’s last nuclear power plant to stay open after its scheduled 2025 shutdown to make more power available. “We have declared a state of emergency to increase energy production and reduce demand,” the governor’s office said in a tweet last week. “As we face the immediate crisis, we must end the reliance on fossil fuels that are destroying the climate and making extreme heat more common.” Heatwave in western US takes a toll on CA’s power grid. We have declared a state of emergency to increase energy production and reduce demand. As we address the immediate crisis, we must end our reliance on fossil fuels that are destroying the climate and making extreme heat more common. pic.twitter.com/onuO1Burxf — California Governor’s Office (@CAgovernor) August 31, 2022 Hot temperatures have also increased the risk of wildfires in an already highly flammable state known for record-breaking wildfires. The state’s wildfire season has been relatively mild compared to previous years, but authorities are cautious heading into September, one of the months that typically sees the most productive fire levels. Four deaths were reported last weekend as about 4,400 firefighters battled 14 large blazes across the state, with 45 new blazes breaking out on Sunday alone, Anale Burlew, deputy chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told The Associated Press. news agency. In southern California, the intersecting threats were on full display: firefighters struggled to work in the heat and several were hospitalized for heat-related illnesses. The weather could also boost the chance of lightning, a common cause of wildfire ignition. The threat of extreme heat will continue to grow, experts say. Scientists say climate change has made the West hotter and drier over the past 30 years and will continue to make extreme weather and wildfires more common and destructive.
