After a long heatwave, the state’s power grids performed better than in previous years, according to officials.
Although there were a few short power outages, authorities didn’t need to implement widespread brownouts or blackouts. The state could even send extra electricity to neighboring states, thanks to a four-year investment in renewable energy.
“We’ve added thousands of megawatts of new generating resources,” said Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO of California Independent System Operator. “We now have nearly 10,000 megawatts of batteries on our grid, which store excess solar energy during the day and release it at night. This has made a big difference.”
Mainzer also noted that the cooler temperatures in San Francisco and Los Angeles helped.
PG&E used a helicopter to monitor transmission lines and stationed crews in areas expected to be most affected.
“Additionally, in the South Bay, we replaced at-risk transformers with ones that have greater capacity, allowing them to handle the heat better,” said Stephanie Magallon, a PG&E spokesperson.
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