The August heat wave sweeping across California is pressuring the state’s electric grid as residents have cranked up their air conditioning units for relief.
It’s been five years since the Western Interconnection — the electrical grid that stretches from the Rockies to the Pacific — was put to such a test. When scorching August temperatures struck the region, the California Independent System Operator was unable to supply enough power to meet the surging demand, forcing the agency to declare an emergency. California’s utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric included, activated rolling electricity blackouts to help balance the grid.
This time around, state energy leaders are feeling much more confident in the grid’s resilience. Top officials are saying that it should be able to weather the type of conditions that arose in 2020 without blackouts.
Roderick Robinson, PG&E’s vice president of electric system operations, is on the front lines of the effort to keep the lights on for the company’s customers. Working out of the utility’s transmission control center in Vacaville, Robinson leads the team responsible for ensuring that electricity flows safely throughout PG&E’s territory.
