It’s as simple as two plus two equals four — if we’re experiencing high heat, we’re going to use more power to stay cool. The folks who provide electricity locally and statewide say we’re in a better position than ever to weather heavy power usage.
Thousands of people have lost power over the course of this heat wave in San Diego County. Still, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) said its system is holding up pretty well.
“This is something that we prepare for, not only over the last few days, but we’ve been preparing for this just year-round,” said SDG&E spokesperson Humberto Gurmilan.
Gurmilan said from the utility’s meteorological team to repair crews, SDG&E is fully staffed 24/7 to respond to power outages within moments.
“Our teams are deployed wherever we might expect more issues … And just like in the case of wildfire, we’ll keep an eye out on those sections or those areas within our service territory that might need more crews or more folks supporting the grid,” Gurmilan said.
The grid. It’s a term that usually conjures up images of high-tension power lines carrying electricity across great distances. The California Independent System Operator (CA ISO) is the agency that’s in charge of making sure power is delivered to every corner of the Golden State.
“We’re in good shape, but each day we are very carefully looking at load and demand,” said Jayme Ackemann, director of communications at CA ISO. She told KPBS the agency has spent years building up the system’s capacity and resiliency.
“Since 2020, which was the last time that we experienced rotating outages, we’ve added more than 35,000 megawatts of energy to the grid. We’ve added more than 17,000 megawatts of battery storage capacity,” Ackemann said.
But, even though Ackemann and Gurmilan said we’re better off than ever before, they’re also emphasizing conservation. The advice is familiar: don’t use big appliances during the heat of the day, and check on family, friends and neighbors who may not have air conditioning, or who are just more prone to the dangers of high heat.
A couple of positive notes; the heat warnings, in the San Diego metro area at least, start expiring Wednesday evening. Cooler weather is coming, as is a credit on September electric and gas bills; nearly $50 for SDG&E customers, $9 for customers who use community power and $6 for SDG&E customers who use natural gas. Some relief for the wallet — as we all eagerly anticipate relief from this long lasting heat wave.
