California less likely to have blackouts thanks to solar, big batteries

By Josh Saul and Tope Alake | Bloomberg

California’s risk of blackouts has fallen as more renewable energy and batteries are added to its power grid, reducing the need to import electricity from other regions, industry regulators said Wednesday.

The grid has been designated “elevated risk,” which means it has enough energy for normal conditions but could fall short in extreme weather, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. said in its latest long-term reliability report. That’s actually an improvement over last year’s designation of “high risk,” meaning shortfalls were more likely and additional power sources were needed.

The US power grid has been tested by severe heat and cold in recent years, including a Texas winter storm in 2021 that killed more than 200 people. Climate change has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, from hurricanes to wildfires, that can trigger blackouts. While utilities and power generators have tried to weather-proof equipment, NERC has determined that many are still at risk.

New solar panels and big batteries have helped beef up the California grid, which includes parts of Nevada and Mexico. Engineering upgrades to some power plants so they can generate more electricity also increased reliability, the report said.