Flex Alert kicks off weeklong extreme heat spell across California
Flex Alert kicks off weeklong extreme heat spell
The California power grid operators called a Flex Alert today from 4 to 9 PM when power demand could reach dangerously high levels. They also say Northern California temperatures are expected to be 10-20 degrees warmer than normal through Tuesday, Sept. 6 The Alert is all encompassing. If you have an electric car, no charging it from 4 to 9 PM.
OAKLAND, Calif. - California power grid operators extended its Flex Alert as power demand could reach dangerously high levels.
Experts say Northern California temperatures are expected to be 10-20 degrees warmer than normal through Thursday.
The alert is all encompassing and those who have an electric car are urged not to charge their vehicles from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
"Well, there's some good news and some bad news," said UC Berkeley Professor Borenstein and power grid governor. "The good news is the grid in California is better prepared than it was a couple of years ago."
According to experts, in storage batteries alone, there's almost twice the generating capacity of the state's largest power plant, the Diablo Canyon Nuclear. This new supply is critical on extreme heat days when demand peaks from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and when solar power fades away.
"So, when the sun sets I think we will be able to maintain the supply in California more effectively," said Borenstein.
Extreme heat is often windless heat, which severely reduces California's wind power. To make up for natural gas power plants pick the huge shortfalls. However, gas power plants are less efficient when it's hot and sometimes, trip offline.
"If enough plats trip off at the same time, that an definitely complicate things," said Borenstein. So, during extreme heat waves, California depends on power imports from other states. "This is gonna be a west wide heat wave which makes it harder to import power from elsewhere in the west and that could really cause a problem," said Borenstein.
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"Heat builds up in buildings over time. They don't cool down as well over night during these heat waves. And, that means they're using more and more air conditioning with each day that goes by," said Borenstein.
According to Borenstein on a normal summer day, California uses about 30,000 megawatts of power, on a really hot days that number jumps to about 50,000 megawatts he says that difference is all air conditioning.