Heat Wave Puts Additional Strain on California Electric Grid
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A record-breaking heat wave along the west coast is threatening to overwhelm the California electric grid.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday to increase energy production and regulate demand. Residents of Southern California are being asked to limit energy consumption during peak hours to alleviate pressure on the grid during the heat wave, which is expected to last throughout the next week. In a statement, Newsom stated that “while we are taking steps to get us through the immediate crisis, this reinforces the need for urgent action to end our dependence on fossil fuels that are destroying our climate and making these heat waves hotter and more common.”
The latest heat wave comes only days after the California Air Resources Board approved rules that would effectively ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The decision was seen by many on the left as a monumental step towards the mass adoption of electric vehicles and carbon-neutral transportation. The heat wave’s pressure on the electrical grid throws the feasibility of these aspirations into question, while also affirming their necessity.
Coverage was widespread across the spectrum. A New York Post (Lean Right Bias) headline highlighted the irony of California residents being asked not to charge electric cars to conserve energy so soon after legislation was passed that would lead the state towards an increased demand for electric vehicles.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
California under statewide flex alert as heat wave threatens power grid
California's grid operator issued a statewide "flex alert" for Wednesday and Thursday as an intense heat wave increased electrical demand and threatened available power supplies.
Driving the news: Residents are asked to voluntary conserve energy from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on both days while the excessive heat increases air condition use, per the California Independent System Operator, which runs most of the state’s electric grid.
Flex alerts are a call to consumers to voluntarily conserve energy when demand for power could outstrip supply, which generally occurs during heat waves....
From the Right
California scrambles to keep the lights on as heat wave crests
California’s Independent System Operator declared an “energy state of emergency” yesterday and issued its first of two “flex alerts” asking residents to voluntarily curb power use during peak demand hours, as regulators brace for a record-breaking heatwave expected to last through next week.
The flex alert system asks residents to voluntarily conserve electricity by turning up their thermostats to at least 78 degrees and to avoid charging electric vehicles or using large appliances between 4 and 9 p.m., when solar power generation decreases and the grid is most strained.
Regulators...
From the Left
California Calls On Residents To Save Electricity Amid Extreme Heat
California’s power grid operator on Thursday repeated a call for residents to conserve energy as the state battles extreme heat ahead of Labor Day.
The electrical grid is “most stressed from higher demand and less solar energy” from 4-9 p.m., said the California Independent System Operator. It issued a “Flex Alert” for Friday calling on residents to take action during those hours — the third day in a row with such a warning.
“With triple-digit temperatures in much of California and the West, the power grid operator is again expecting...
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