The managers of California’s electrical grid say they have done everything they can to avoid more rolling blackouts this summer.
To start, there are 3,500 more megawatts of capacity available on the grid, more solar power and lithium ion batteries, said Elliot Mainzer, president of the California Independent System Operator, which runs the power grid.
“Lithium ion batteries, [are] going to play a critical role in maintaining reliability after sunset, during that net peak period,” he told KCBS Radio.
However, he warned that the changes don’t mean the state is completely in the clear.
“It still doesn’t clear us, in terms of the supply side, against a West-wide heat event, particularly in September,” Mainzer said.
That’s why California ISO will be asking for help from residents once again.
“We’re going to be asking the people of California to help us maintain reliability by cutting their electricity consumption from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. on those really, really hot days,” Mainzer noted.
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