California likely will have an energy shortfall equivalent to what it takes to power about 1.3 million homes when use is at its peak during the hot and dry summer months, state officials said Friday. Threats from drought, extreme heat and wildfires, plus supply chain and regulatory issues hampering the solar industry will create challenges for energy reliability this summer and in the coming years, the officials said. They represented the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Energy Commission, and the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s energy grid.State models assume the state will have 1,700 fewer megawatts of power than it needs during the times of highest demand – typically early evening as the sun sets – in the hottest months when air conditioners are in full use. | PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Can California’s power grid handle another hot summer?One megawatt powers about 750 to 1,000 homes in California, according to the energy commission. Under the most extreme circumstances, the shortfall could be far worse: 5,000 megawatts, or enough to power 3.75 million homes. “The only thing we expect is to see new and surprising conditions, and we’re trying to be prepared for those,” said Alice Reynolds, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates major utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric. Climate change is driving a megadrought in California, which this year saw the driest January through March on record. Many state reservoirs are well below average levels, and last summer the state for the first time shut off hydropower generation at the Oroville Dam because there wasn’t enough water. It’s up and running again, but the shutdown cost the state 600 megawatts of power, officials said. Large hydropower projects generated nearly 14% of the state’s electricity in 2020, according to the independent system operator. Renewable energy sources, chiefly solar, accounted for 34.5% and nuclear power made up 10%.Amid expected shortfalls this summer the state – and residents – have multiple tools to avoid blackouts. Power can be purchased from other states and residents can lower their use during peak demand, but power shortages still are possible during extreme situations, officials said. Reynolds urged people to consider lowering their energy use by doing things like cooling their homes early in the day then turning off their air conditioners when the sun goes down.In August 2020, amid extreme heat, the California Independent System Operator ordered utilities to temporarily cut power to hundreds of thousands of customers. Mark Rothleder, senior vice president for the system operator, said the state would be more likely to experience blackouts again this year if the entire West has a heat wave at the same time. That would hinder California’s ability to buy excess power from other states. Wildfires could also hinder the state’s ability to keep the power on, he said. “Power shortages and increased rates are real risks going forward,” said Severin Borenstein, a professor/faculty director of the energy institute at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.Borenstein has researched California’s energy markets since 1994. He and other energy experts are constantly trying to find the most efficient ways to make and consume electricity while keeping up with evolving climate conditions.“The climate is changing and it’s changing in ways that no one can predict,” Borenstein said. “So we’re not sure how bad it’s going to be over the next few years.”Hotter temperatures lead to air conditioning usage that maxes out the state’s power grid.That’s where energy users can help.“The single most important change you can make is adjusting the temperature in your house,” Borenstein said.Simply turning up the thermostat in the summer from 75 to 78 degrees and not using major appliances in the late afternoon and early evening are a start.“Those changes…
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