California’s utilities are bringing back power to thousands of customers across the state after a brief outage, according to the authority that operates the power grid.
FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2017, file photo, electrical power flow and conditions are monitored at the California Independent System Operator grid control center in Folsom, Calif. A heat wave baking California in triple-digit temperatures continued to strain the electrical system Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020. But Saturday afternoon, the California ISO, which manages the power grid, said that it did not need to order power outages because the grid was able to handle consumer demand.
California ISO said it ordered the end of rolling blackouts about 6:48 p.m., when wind power increased. The power grid is mostly stressed during the late afternoon and early evening because of higher demand and solar energy production falling. The state tried to prepare for the expected rise in electricity use by urging conservation and trying to buy more power. But a high-pressure system building over Western states meant there was less available.
The last time the state ordered rolling outages was during an energy crisis in 2001. Blackouts occurred several times from January to May, including one that affected more than 1.5 million customers. The cause was a combination of energy shortages and market manipulation by energy wholesalers, infamously including Enron Corp., that drove up prices by withholding supplies.
Several cities opened cooling centers, but with limited capacity because of social distancing requirements.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
California heat spurs 1st rolling power outages since 2001California orders rolling power outages for the first time since 2001 as a statewide heat wave strained its electrical system. The emergency declaration was lifted shortly before 10 p.m. The move came as temperatures around the state hit triple digits.
Read more »
More rolling blackouts in California amid power shortages, searing heatThe broiling conditions that began Friday in California may rival the deadly seven-day heat event of July 2006.
Read more »
Sweltering heat triggers power outages across CaliforniaA Stage 3 emergency alert was declared around 6:30 p.m. by the California Independent System Operator, which runs the state’s power grid. The agency has not declared a statewide emergency of this kind since 2001.
Read more »
Heat Wave Forces Power Outages in CaliforniaRecord-breaking high temperatures persisted in parts of California Saturday, as officials were on guard against wildfires and closely monitoring the power grid.
Read more »
Chika Drops 'My Power' From Netflix Film 'Project Power'Single follows “U Should” and the Industry Games EP from earlier this year
Read more »
100 Years After the 19th Amendment, Taking Stock of Black Women’s Political Power - Women’s Media Center“ Exercising the right to vote has once again become a matter of life and death, especially for Black and Latinx Americans, whose rates of illness and death from COVID-19 outpace those of Americans generally.”
Read more »