photo credit: greenstatepower.com
The state of California is working to add several natural gas-fuel power plants to avoid blackouts this fall.
The California department of water resources is in the process of buying five temporary gas-fueled generators to install at existing power plants. They are expected to be operating by the middle of September.
The move comes after governor Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency for the power grid on concern of supply shortages. That will kick in when solar production wanes.
The governor has temporary lifted air-quality rules.
Officials have been scrambling to shore up power resources since brief blackouts hit the state in August of last year. That was during an extreme heat wave.
This week, the California energy commission approved licenses for the emergency gas generators for up to five years.
Commissioner Karen Douglas says, “Governor Newsom’s emergency proclamation makes it very clear that all of our energy agencies have to act immediately to achieve energy stability during this emergency as well as accelerating plans for construction, procurement and rapid deployment of new clean-energy and storage projects.”
