Last year, Pacific Gas and Electric temporarily shut off power for hundreds of thousands of Californians in the height of summer.
With scorching temperatures and additional wildfires expected to stress the state's power grid this summer as well, officials warn more rolling blackouts may occur.
“If we get into another big [West Coast]-wide heating event like we saw last year, our numbers tell us the grid will be stressed again,” said Elliot Mainzer, president and CEO of the California Independent System Operator, the nonprofit that controls the flow of electricity for 80 percent of California.
State Senator Mike McGuire from Marin County repeatedly criticized Pacific Gas and Electric Company for its role in last year’s power outages. He also blamed the company for causing massive wildfires at a roundtable discussion.
“This is not only unheard of, it’s unacceptable. We’re the fifth flippin’ largest economy in the world, yet we can’t keep the damn lights on,” said McGuire.
McGuire said the state's electric grid is one of the most dysfunctional utilities in the country. The 2018 Camp Fire bolsters his claim. It was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. It was also caused by Pacific Gast and Electricity's own electrical lines.
"After a very meticulous and thorough investigation, CAL FIRE has determined that the Camp Fire was caused by electrical transmission lines owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E) located in the Pulga area" of Butte County, California fire officials said in a statement.
In the past, energy experts were puzzled over decisions to cut power. When the August 2020 heatwave resulted in rolling blackouts, Bill Powers challenged Independent System Operators’ assertion that power cuts were necessary. Powers is a San Diego engineer who provides expert testimony on utility matters before the state’s regulators.
“They set it up like this is a historic event,” Powers told The New York Times. “This [heatwave] should not have triggered blackouts.”
According to The New York Times, the operating reserves of power available to the utilities were higher than the three percent level where California Independent System Operator had ordered a reduction in electricity use in the past.
Experts say that this could become a big problem for Gov. Gavin Newsom as he faces a recall. In 2003, California's energy crisis helped Arnold Schwarzenegger defeat Gray Davis in a recall election.