This week, Governor Newsom indicated that the state was facing a
historic heatwave and had experienced a significant shortfall in
electricity supply over the course of 72 hours. This shortfall
included a predicted deficit of 4,400 megawatts of expected daily
need. These shortfalls prompted the California Independent
System Operator (CAISO) to issue a Stage 3 Electrical Emergency
notification which requires utility provides to enact “Load
Shedding” through rolling blackouts in order to reduce demand for
electricity and prevent system overload.
In response to this sudden and evolving energy crisis, Governor
Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation to free up energy
capacity and reduce the need for rolling black outs. The
proclamation allows for stationary and portable generators to
operate under emergency operations rules. In addition to other
provisions, the proclamation exempts stationary generators from
regulation under California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Airborne
Toxic Control Measures rules and declares an emergency that
allows for the operation of portable generators to meet demand.
The text of the proclamation can be found here and
a copy can be found here.
Finally, as part of this ongoing crisis, the Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services has created messaging materials, including
social media and planning documents, to help counties message
what local residents can do to help California reduce demand. You
can find those links on in the AENR area of the CSAC website at
the links below.
