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u.s. news Diamars 6 september 2022

Chance of California power outages up as heat wave worsens

SACRAMENTO, Ca- ing natural gas plants that
lif. (AP) — California's California relies on for back-
chance of power outages up power aren't as reliable in
will grow in the coming hot weather. As of Sunday
days, as the state prepares afternoon, three of the state's
to enter the most brutal coastal power plants were
stretch yet of an ongoing experiencing partial outages,
heat wave, officials said though they make up just a
Sunday. small fraction of the state's
supply, officials said.
Energy demand is expected At the same time, some hy-
to outpace supply starting dropower resources are lim-
Monday evening, and predic- ited due to drought. Dry
tions for Tuesday show the conditions and heat are hit-
state rivaling its all-time high ting California as the state
for electricity demand, said heads into what traditionally
Elliot Mainzer, president and is the worst of the fire sea-
chief executive officer of the son, with large fires already
California Independent Sys- burning and turning deadly.
tem Operator. Scientists say climate change
has made the West warmer
"This is about to get sig- and drier over the last three
nificantly more intense," decades and will continue to
Mainzer told reporters. make weather more extreme
and wildfires more frequent
The system operator is in have been, even as tempera- use less power from 4 p.m. avoid that number than test and destructive.
charge of managing and tures rise. to 9 p.m. by keeping air con- the power grid's capability to
maintaining reliability on ditioners at 78 degrees Fahr- respond. Several hundred thousand
the electric grid, a challeng- Most of California's 39 mil- enheit (25.5 degrees Celsius) Californians lost power in
ing job during hot weather lion people are facing ex- or higher and avoiding using "Our goal is to make sure that rolling blackouts in August
when energy demand soars tremely hot weather. Tem- major appliances like ovens we do not reach that num- 2020 amid hot weather. The
as people crank up their air peratures in the Central Val- and dishwashers. Those so- ber," Mainzer said. state avoided a similar sce-
conditioners. ley are expected to be as high called flex alerts have allowed nario last summer. Newsom
as 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 the grid operator to keep the During the day, California's on Friday signed legisla-
Grid managers have several degrees Celsius) for several lights on so far. energy grid runs on a mix of tion potentially allowing the
options available before pow- days. In Los Angeles, mean- mostly solar and natural gas, state's last remaining nuclear
er outages, like tapping back- while, temperatures topped On Saturday night, the state as well as some imports of plant to stay open beyond its
up generators, buying more 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 used about 44,000 mega- power from other states. But planned 2025 closure in or-
power from other states and degrees Celsius), unusually watts of electricity, Mainzer solar power begins to fall off der to ensure more power for
using so-called demand re- warm temperatures for Sep- said. By Tuesday, that's sup- during the late afternoon and the energy grid.
sponse programs, where peo- tember. posed to ramp up to more into the evening, which is the
ple are paid to use less energy. than 50,000 megawatts, near- hottest time of day in some On Sunday evening, nuclear
But keeping the lights on will Energy officials and power ing record levels of energy parts of the state. power accounted for about
also require Californians to companies have been urging use set in 2006. But the state 5% of California's energy
continue conserving as they people since Wednesday to would rather curb demand to Meanwhile, some of the ag- supply.

2 dead in Northern California wildfire

WEED, Calif. (AP) — orders Sunday as firefighters She was joined by Mayor Kim
Two people have died worked to contain the blaze Greene, and the two hoped
in a blaze that ripped that had sparked out of con- to get more details on how
through a Northern Cali- trol Friday at the start of the many homes had been lost.
fornia town, said Siskiyou holiday weekend. A total of 132 structures were
County Sheriff Jeremiah destroyed or damaged, fire
LaRue. The blaze, known as the Mill officials said Sunday, though
Fire, hadn't expanded since it wasn't clear whether they
LaRue shared the news of the Saturday morning, cover- were homes, businesses, or
fatalities Sunday afternoon ing about 6.6 square miles other buildings.
during a community meeting (17 square kilometers) with
held at an elementary school 25% containment, according Three people were injured,
north of Weed, the rural to Cal Fire. But the nearby according to Cal Fire, but no
Northern California com- Mountain Fire grew in size other details were available.
munity charred by one of on Sunday, officials said. It Two people were brought San Francisco, has long been most destructive fires in Cal-
California's latest wildfires. also started Friday, though in to Mercy Medical Center seen by passersby as a whim- ifornia history.
He did not immediately pro- a less populated area. More Mount Shasta, Cal Fire Sis- sical spot to stop along Inter-
vide names or other details than 300 people were under kiyou Unit Chief Phil Anzo state 5. But the town, nestled That drought persists as
including age or gender of evacuation orders. said Saturday. One was in sta- in the shadow of Mt. Shasta, California heads into what
the two people who died. ble condition and the other is no stranger to wildfires. traditionally is the worst of
Power outages, smoky skies was transferred to UC Davis the fire season. Scientists say
Both LaRue and other of- and uncertainty about what Medical Center, which has a The winds make Weed and climate change has made the
ficials acknowledged uncer- the day would bring left a burn unit. It's unclear if these the surrounding area a per- West warmer and drier over
tainties facing the communi- feeling of emptiness around injuries were related to the ilous place for wildfires, the last three decades and will
ty, such as when people would the town of Weed the morn- deaths reported Sunday. whipping small flames into continue to make weather
be allowed back into their ing after evacuation orders a frenzy. Weed has seen three more extreme and wildfires
homes and power would be were lifted for thousands of Weed, home to fewer than major fires since 2014, a pe- more frequent and destruc-
restored. About 1,000 people other residents. 3,000 people about 280 miles riod of extreme drought that tive.
were still under evacuation (451 kilometers) northeast of has prompted the largest and