After a long stretch of summer with below-normal temperatures across most of the state, California is embroiled in its first sustained heat wave, sending electric grid peaks to highs for the year and putting a strain on the utilities and grid operator, which are operating without the full use of the natural gas storage facility at Aliso Canyon in Southern California, the hottest of the hot spots.
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Natural Gas Seen Receding in California as Generation Glut Draws Debate
California may be the nation’s second biggest consumer of natural gas after Texas, but it continues to burn fewer therms to produce megawatts, and that is a trend likely to continue.
California NatGas System Holding Despite Brutal Heatwave; Conservation Alert in Place
Facing triple-digit temperatures throughout much of the state and the year’s highest electricity demand slated to top 47,000 MW, California energy officials indicated Tuesday that the state’s natural gas and power delivery systems were operating without any mishaps.
Future of 10,000 MW of Gas-Fired Power Uncertain, CAISO Says
The growing shift to more reliance on renewable resources for electric generation in California has put nearly 10,000 MW of natural gas-fired generation sources in a state of flux for grid planners in the state.
Pursuit of West-Wide Power Grid, More Gas-Fired Generation Still Alive, Officials Say
Energy officials ranging from the head of FERC to a PacifiCorp delegation told a symposium convened by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) on Thursday that a western regional power grid will eventually become a reality.
California’s Share of Gas-Fired Generation Continues to Drop
California’s climate change policies are resulting in proportionally less natural gas use to produce electricity in the nation’s most populous state.
California Governor Puts Push For West Grid, Less Gas-Fired Generation on Hold
California Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers on Monday put on hold the state grid operator’s pursuit of a western regional power grid that gradually lessens dependence on natural gas-fired generation among other byproducts called for under a state law passed last year (SB 350). Concerns about the state’s ongoing aggressive climate change programs prompted the action.
CAISO Asks Utilities to Restrict Work on Grid During Heat Wave
California’s electric grid operator issued an active notice to power companies on Wednesday, asking them to restrict maintenance operations on the power grid for most of the day as the state continues to sizzle through a heat wave.
Brief — FERC Technical Conference
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has scheduled a technical conference at its Washington, DC, headquarters Sept. 30 on California Independent System Operator Corp.’s proposal to implement an interim set of measures to address limitations in the natural gas delivery system due to limited operability of the Aliso Canyon storage facility (see Daily GPI, May 19). FERC directed its staff to schedule a technical conference to assess the effectiveness of the CAISO stopgap measures, and to determine if longer-term changes will be warranted, when it approved market changes proposed by CAISO last month (see Daily GPI,June 2). The conference will be transcribed and webcast. A link to the webcast will be available in the Commission calendar of events atwww.ferc.gov.
California’s Multi-State Grid Proposal Suggests Reducing Fossil Fuel Dependence, Including NatGas
California’s grid operator on Tuesday issued a 12-volume, 688-page tome analyzing various scenarios to create a multi-state, regional electricity market that would continue to phase out the use of fossil fuels, including natural gas, for power generation.