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California to Let Gas Plants Stay Open as Time Runs Low for Climate Action

State officials threw a lifeline to four fossil fueled power plants along the Southern California coast, deciding the facilities are still needed to provide reliable electricity even as they contribute to the climate crisis.

Tuesday’s vote by the State Water Resources Control Board to let the gas plants keep operating past the end of this year followed brief rolling blackouts over two evenings last month, as a heat wave caused air conditioning demand to soar, and California found itself short on electricity supplies.

A Lesson from the Blackouts: California May be Too Reliant on Out-Of-State Energy Imports

A deep dive into the causes of the first rolling blackouts to hit California in 19 years is coming soon from state agencies but a preliminary report from an energy consulting group in Sacramento points to a number of reasons — including an overreliance on out-of-state energy imports.

Carlsbad Desalination Plant Cuts Output to Conserve Electricity Amid Heat Wave

The San Diego County Water Authority said Tuesday production has been cut back at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant to conserve electricity and prevent rolling blackouts during the statewide heat wave.

Carlsbad Desalination Plant Supports Statewide Energy Conservation Efforts

Carlsbad, Calif. (August 18, 2020) –To support statewide emergency energy conservation efforts, Poseidon Water and the San Diego County Water Authority are temporarily reducing water production at the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant.

While the plant uses less than 1% of peak energy demand in San Diego Gas & Electric’s service territory, Poseidon and the Water Authority are committed to supporting electrical reliability while ensuring continued delivery of safe and reliable water supplies.

California Blackouts a Warning for States Ramping Up Green Power

Millions of Californians could lose power in coming days, the state’s grid operator warned Monday, as it continues to struggle with inadequate electricity supplies as many people have been forced indoors to ride out a crippling heat wave during the coronavirus pandemic.

California Power Grid Operator Cancels Rolling Blackouts

Widespread blackouts to reduce pressure on the electric grid were averted Monday night after regulators warned earlier in the day that they would not have enough power to meet demand in the midst of a heat wave.

California Utilities Pay Record Prices for Surplus Power Amid Heat Wave

Electric prices in the West soared to record highs as California consumers prepared for more outages on Monday after the grid operator ordered utilities to cut power over the weekend to reduce system strain during a brutal heat wave.

‘We’re in a Bind’: California Braces for Rolling Outages as Heatwave Continues

The California Independent System Operator is bracing for rolling outages through Wednesday, after a record-breaking heatwave in the Western U.S. strained energy supplies and necessitated power shut-offs that affected hundreds of thousands of customers over the weekend.

Heat Wave Begins to Grip San Diego County, Expected to Last Through the Weekend

Temperatures will near triple digits Wednesday in the San Diego County mountains and foothills, as a heat wave that will last through the weekend begins to grip the region.

A ridge of high pressure will continue building over the southwestern United States through Monday, ushering in the scorching heat, according to the National Weather Service.

UCSD Says Climate Change Helped Produce San Diego’s Huge Ocean Heat Wave in 2018

UC San Diego researchers have confirmed that climate change helped produce the historic 43-day ocean heat wave that drew big crowds to San Diego beaches during the summer of 2018.

The finding was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, in a paper that says the phenomenon could not be solely attributed to natural variations in the weather.