Vicious circle

Gristmill
Posted by Adam Browning at 10:27 AM on 25 Jul 2006

Records are falling all around in California.

A heat wave has been setting record temperatures. And then on Monday, California set a record for all-time peak electricity usage. From the NYT:

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered state agencies to reduce electricity consumption by 25 percent, acting on a prediction from the state's power grid managers that demand would peak at 52,000 megawatts, a mark they had not expected to reach until 2011. Demand peaked at 50,270 megawatts at 2:44 p.m. Pacific time, breaking the record of 49,036 megawatts set last Friday."

More heat = more electricity usage.
More electricity usage = more carbon emissions.
More carbon emissions = ... you get the idea.

Fortunately renewables are a priority in California, unlike most other states where coal fired plants are under consideration if not construction. We have to break the circle.

This heat wave is a strong one, with humidity that we have not seen in about ten years. On top of that the over night low did not dip below 76. More conservation, peak load management, and efficiency is needed as well. As well as better outage management.

Looking forward to this next wave solar photovoltaic.