Front Page  »  

California extends flex alert through Labor Day, possible blackouts

September 5, 2022

Gov. Gavin Newsom

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The state of California has extended an ongoing Flex Alert through Monday, asking residents and businesses to cut back on power usage, including by not charging electric vehicles.

Monday’s alert runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. During that span, the state is asking residents to avoid charging electric vehicles, avoid using major appliances, turn off unnecessary lights and set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher. Rolling blackouts are possible on Monday evening.

Power usage is expected to be higher on Tuesday, though a flex alert has not yet been declared.

“We are facing a load forecast of 48,817 megawatts and energy deficits between 2,000 and 4,000 megawatts for Monday, resulting in the highest likelihood of rotating outages we have seen so far this summer,” said California Independent System Operator (ISO) President and CEO Elliot Mainzer. “Because of the increasingly extreme conditions, we will need significant additional consumer demand reductions during the hours of 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday and access to all the emergency tools that the state and utilities have established for an extreme event like this one.”

ISO, which oversees operations of California’s electricity grid, says it expects to issue more calls for reducing energy consumption as the state endures record-breaking temperatures lasting at least through Friday.


Loading...
Related:


10 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

I think the people who want to shut down the power plant have blacked out!


7

Those of us with older homes in SLO don’t have AC.


3

Why is there a photo of Governor Newsom on this article? ISO is an independent non-profit who manages the power grid and who asked the citizens to honor the flex alert that they recommended. All Newsom had to do with this is to encourage citizens to follow the guidelines. He does not set the guidelines, create the alerts, or order blackouts.


0

How about requiring the PG&E Monopoly to upgrade the transmission/ distribution lines. Or a novel thought is create more power plants in the state so there would be enough power and put it at a rate the people can afford. The approximate bills just to operate and live in your home less house payment ,tax’s, ins, is at least $600 + a month which is unreal


13

Are you suggesting that Californias’ power generation be competitive, what do you think would happen if the PUC didn’t manage it for us? We might have some of the highest electric rates in the country, an unreliable aging grid, wildfires started by poorly maintained equipment, hundred year old gas lines failing and burning whole communities. No, we need to stay the course and let the state take care of us, they do such a good job.


-1

Why bother upgrading, when you are not allowed to build more, nor improve, power plants?


4

“when you are not allowed to build more” Bullshit


“The U.S. added 27,959 MW of new generating capacity to the grid in 2021, 12% more than the previous year.

Meanwhile, 8,556 MW of capacity was retired in 2021, netting an additional 19,403 MW available to the U.S. power grid.”


Why the disinformation?


-4

After shutting down San Onofre, Humbolt, and Rancho Seco, California stated that no more nuclear plants will be built, and the state would rely on other energy sources when Diablo (nearly 10% of our daily state usage) is turned off. 32% of the “other” energy, currently, is from out of state (California being the largest consumer of out of state energy). That 32% of the energy we pay for, is generated by coal and natural gas (those earth killing “polluters”), from these out of state providers. Also, no more dams being built for more 24/7 hydro-electric power, because of alleged environmental concerns.


The state wants to rely on solar, which only works during the day. But don’t make it a hot day, since panels lose a considerable amount of ability when too hot, and wind, which ONLY works if there is, you know, wind. But not too much wind, since windmills have to be shut down if the windspeed exceeds safety requirements.


Both solar and wind will require tens of thousands of acres of farmland, and other sensitive environs, in order to have enough infrastructure to generate a usable amount of power, to equal any of the shuttered nuclear plants. Have you seen the over 9 square miles of the 550mw Topaz facility in the Cal Valley? Compare that, with the 12.5 acres Diablo generates over 2250mw 25/7 from. “But we can put windmills offshore!” Ever notice what seawater does to steel? Ever notice what gear oil and grease does to the ocean when it leaks from containers…or turbines?


Oh, the stock market value of the Topaz plant, was lowered to junk bond status…


Tell us all, what “disinformation”?


2

You are correct sir. Just for the record all my comments above were sarcasm.


1

“Tell us all, what “disinformation”?”


“when you are not allowed to build more, nor improve, power plants?” False and is disinformation.


“Oh, the stock market value of the Topaz plant, was lowered to junk bond status…” Trying to make it look bad, disinfo.


“The rating of Topaz’s notes is constrained by the rating of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), reflecting the risk associated with revenue payments from the sole PPA counterparty. Metrics are consistent with the ‘A’ category, but the project rating is constrained by the offtaker.”


So it’s really Pg&e, but not to worry the $777.9 million outstanding is safely generating it’s 5.5% or whatever for the investors.


Also your 279 words don’t change what you wrote before.

Smh


-2