California Heat Wave Tests Grid as Power Demand Surges
The National Weather Service has issued heat advisories across California's Central Valley and coastal areas, including the Bay Area and Los Angeles, with more severe extreme heat warnings in parts of Southern California. Cooling demand is expected to soar over the next several days, putting pressure on the power grid, particularly in the evening as solar generation declines. Bloomberg reports…
California is bracing for a severe heat wave that is putting immense strain on the power grid. The National Weather Service has issued heat advisories across the Central Valley and coastal areas, including the Bay Area and Los Angeles, with more extreme warnings in Southern California. Cooling demand is expected to soar, particularly in the evening as solar generation declines.
Temperatures in Los Angeles are forecast to reach 85F to 105F, 10 to 15 degrees above normal, while San Francisco may hit 86 degrees and Sacramento could reach 100 degrees. The California Independent System Operator predicts peak power demand of 47,379 megawatts on Wednesday, below the September 2022 record of 52,061 megawatts. However, Thursday is expected to see a peak of around 45,183 megawatts.
The surge in cooling demand is already reflected in wholesale power prices, with SP15 hub in Southern California reaching $87.69 per megawatt-hour, the highest hourly reading in over a week.
Written by urgent.news from OilPrice's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
