Rolling power outages are now a real possibility in the state of California as the power grid is being heavily taxed amid the ongoing heat wave, where temperatures are averaging above 100 degrees.
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced in the early afternoon they had warned over half a million of their customers about the potential for rolling blackouts.
PG&E has given advanced notification to ~525k customers to prepare for potential rotating outages in case they need to take place.
— Pacific Gas & Electric (@PGE4Me) September 6, 2022
visit https://t.co/2BQaYLrwvD to check if your outage block may be affected.
Chinese https://t.co/b7N4BHlHq5
Spanish https://t.co/WMkBx4xFHW pic.twitter.com/srxzYhuPLd
By late evening, "power outages are now possible to protect California's grid" as "electricity supplies run low in the face of record heat and demand."
State is pulling out all the stops to avoid power outages as heat wave strains the grid pic.twitter.com/T5V7OXJiJH
— Emily Hoeven (@emily_hoeven) September 7, 2022
BREAKING: Rotating power outages are now possible to protect California's grid, according to the grid operator, which declared a Stage 3 emergency an hour ago as "electricity supplies run low in the face of record heat and demand." https://t.co/3UDjngCOYL
— Emily Hoeven (@emily_hoeven) September 7, 2022
Renewables currently accounting for…13% of California’s energy grid demand pic.twitter.com/9W6hMsB2h4
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) September 7, 2022
An hour before the increase in alert status, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) tweeted, "CALIFORNIA: We’re now in a Flex Alert. What does that mean? We all need to conserve as much energy as possible during this record breaking heatwave. Here’s what to do until 9pm tonight: Set thermostats to 78, turn off unnecessary lights, avoid using large appliances."
Shortly after the state mandated that "new cars sold in the state by 2035 be free of greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide," advisories were sent out stating to avoid charging electric vehicles at certain times to prevent extra strain on the power grid.
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