Solar Helping Keep California Cool During This Heatwave

Chris Clarke, REWIRE KCET

May 14. The agency that operates the electrical power grid for most of California forecasted last week that the state was in good shape for the summer, even without the San Onofre nuclear power plant and with drought making significantly lower output from hydroelectric stations. This week seems to be underscoring that confidence.

Warm temperatures mean greater demand for power in California as people reach for their air conditioning, and the California Independent System Operator (CaISO) is charged with making sure there’s enough electrical power to meet that heightened demand. This year, the state’s record drought means the prospects for hydro power in the state are well below average, and Southern California’s grid still struggles to make up the more than two gigawatts of supply lost when the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station went offline.

But if CaISO’s grid stats for Wednesday afternoon are any indication, last week’s forecast wasn’t far from the mark. With a heat wave hitting much of the state and pushing statewide power demand toward an unseasonable 40,000 megawatts, the grid seems to have plenty of juice to spare — and more than ten percent of the afternoon’s demand is being met by solar.

via Solar Helping Keep California Cool During This Heatwave | Solar | ReWire | KCET.

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