Amid Heat Wave, Gov. Calls Blackouts 'Unacceptable,' Takes Action

SACRAMENTO, CA — As soaring temperatures and lightning strikes hammered California's power grid over the weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an emergency order Monday to cut down on power shortages.

The heat emergency proclamation signed by Newsom is designed to free up energy capacity and reduce the need for service disruptions, according to the governor's office.

The order will temporarily allow residents and utilities to use backup energy wells to relieve the strain on the state power grid during peak times, the governor's office said.

On Sunday, Newsom convened an all-hands meeting with the California Independent System Operator, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and senior administration officials to assess upcoming power shortages.

As the West Coast continues to experience an historic heat wave and related energy shortages, Governor @GavinNewsom signed an emergency proclamation designed to free up energy capacity and reduce the need for temporary energy service disruptions. https://t.co/RtheSW9jrf
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) August 17, 2020

As the state quickly turned into a landscape of wildfires, dry lightning storms and record-breaking temperatures up to 130 degrees in Death Valley on Sunday, energy consumers experienced outages in several corners of the state. Following Sunday's meeting, Newsom demanded to know why.

“I write today to express my deep concern about the broadscale de-energizations experienced by too many Californians on August 14 and 15th. These blackouts, which occurred without prior warning or enough time for preparation, are unacceptable and unbefitting of the nation’s largest and most innovative state,” Newsom wrote in a letter to state energy and utility officials.

The California governor demanded an investigation into the outages and the energy agencies' failure to handle them.

“Residents, communities and other governmental organizations did not receive sufficient warning that these de-energizations could occur," Newsom continued in the letter. "Collectively, energy regulators failed to anticipate this event and to take necessary actions to ensure reliable power to Californians. This cannot stand. California residents and businesses deserve better from their government.”

The full letter can be read here.

The California Independent System Operator also urges residents and business owners to take these actions to reduce energy consumption:

• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Refrain from major appliance use between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances.