Staff Reports
The State of California will issue a "Flex Alert" on Thursday for the eighth straight day, advising power users to reduce their energy use, including by not plugging in electric vehicles between the hours of 3:00 and 10:00 p.m.
Reminder: A #FlexAlert has been extended to Thursday, Sept. 8, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. pic.twitter.com/bT35xshaIl
— Flex Alert (@flexalert) September 8, 2022
That is two hours longer than the typical "Flex Alert," and an energy emergency could occur, as the San Francisco Chronicle noted:
The California grid operator issued an emergency watch notice for 3 p.m. on Thursday as it appeared that the heat wave would bring forth another another day of unusually high demand. to 10 p.m. during Thursday. In this heat wave, that is a longer number of hours than previous emergency watches. As of Wednesday at 5:45 p.m., the grid was in its second degree of emergency; at the third level, it might choose to start rolling blackouts.
A high pressure system that is positioned over the western United States is to blame for the heat wave that is the direct cause of the energy crisis. The "hot dome" is now expected to start dissolving and temperatures to start falling down on Friday, according to meteorologists.
The longer-term factor, though, is California's legislative commitment to quickly transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. The state's final nuclear power plant was scheduled to shut down in 2025, but the legislature decided to prolong its lifespan by five years just as the present energy crisis was getting underway.
As of 2035, gas-powered passenger vehicle sales will also be prohibited in the state. Although officials and experts claim that California could increase its energy policy by 30% to support the switch to an all-electric fleet, doing so is thought to be a significant problem. Additionally, the state is advising motorists not to charge the automobiles that it wants to compel purchasers to buy in light of this week's energy crisis.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Breit Bart
