More California blackouts expected Wednesday

May 9, 2001
The California grid operator said it expects to call for 800 Mw in firm load curtailments Wednesday afternoon, double the 400 Mw that were shed during Tuesday's rolling blackouts. The system is expected to be under even heavier demand Wednesday than it was Tuesday. Peak demand on the transmission system is expected to reach 35,190 Mw Wednesday, compared to Tuesday's projected peak of 34,469 Mw.


By the OGJ Online Staff

HOUSTON, May 9 -- The California grid operator said it expects to call for 800 Mw in firm load curtailments Wednesday afternoon, double the 400 Mw that were shed during Tuesday's rolling blackouts.

The system is expected to be under even heavier demand Wednesday than it was Tuesday. Peak demand on the transmission system is expected to reach 35,190 Mw, compared to Tuesday's projected peak of 34,469 Mw.

The state is in the third day of a heat wave and possibly the third day of rotating outages. The California Independent System Operator said more than 12,000 Mw of generation, including four nuclear plants, remain off line because of preventive repairs and plant malfunctions. An additional 1,400 Mw of generation from the state's qualifying facilities (QFs) are still off line.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. noted the third day of any heat wave is always the worst as the residual heat in office buildings and homes cause air conditioners to work harder. People also often become frustrated by the continued heat and turn down their thermostats to get cool, the utility said.

Nearly 153,000 Pacific Gas & Electric customers and 71,000 Southern California Edison Co. customers were affected by Tuesday outages. Pacific Gas & Electric said it is prepared to institute rotating outages again Wednesday according to a block program.

Since January, the ISO has ordered blackouts Jan. 17-18, Mar. 19-20 and Monday and Tuesday.

A new study released Wednesday by the California Manufacturers & Technology Association projected electricity blackouts this summer will conservatively cost California businesses $21.8 billion in lost productivity. It said the power cuts will reduce household income by another $4.5 billion and result in 135,000 Californians losing their jobs.

Jack M Stewart, president of the organization, and other business leaders warned the two largest aspects of the crisis, the electricity and natural gas supply shortages, and the financial morass engulfing the private utilities, state government, and electricity generators, remain unresolved.

"The longer this continues, the greater our risk of a job-killing recession gripping California," said Stewart.

The study assumed California will suffer 110 hours of blackout time this summer, based on ISO estimates. Researchers cautioned that a hotter than normal summer, a shortfall in expected peak generation capacity, or unplanned generation facility shutdowns would precipitate more blackouts and "would be sufficient to push the California economy into recession this year."