https://n2v.mv-voice.com/blogs/p/print/2020/08/14/first-rolling-blackout-since-2001-hits-palo-alto

Local Blogs

First rolling blackout since 2001 hits Palo Alto! And more are coming!

You can also find an update (Aug 17) and a wrap-up (Aug 20) on the outages.

Whoa, our power went out (about 4500 homes in Palo Alto) on purpose because the state was running low! First time for these rolling blackouts since 2001. See CAISO's brief explanation of "Stage 3 Emergency" here.

This is just a mini blog post, but I'll share more if I learn anything. Below is a snapshot from CAISO's demand page.



Prior to the outage, the LA Times writes that "The California Independent System Operator had issued a statewide flex alert earlier Friday, asking residents to conserve electricity between 3 and 10 p.m. That alert asked consumers to set air conditioner thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, turn off unnecessary lights and not use major appliances." Was anyone aware of that alert?

Other things I wonder are: (a) why we don't have advanced notice for rolling blackouts and (b) why this happened around 8pm rather than at peak which was closer to 5pm. I also wonder if there was a confluence of things that happened or if this was more or less expected given the forecast. Please share any good info or writeups in the comments...