Why Does California Have Rolling Blackouts?

Power outages or blackouts have a significant impact on the economy, health, and public safety. Unfortunately, California rolling blackouts became a way of life for those of us in the Golden State in recent years, and they will continue into 2025.

The recent Palisades wildfires have damaged not only properties worth billions of dollars but also the grid infrastructure, which is why the threat of rolling blackouts is looming large on the citizens of California. While many consumers believe it is Edison’s fault, consumers have a more pressing problem. Damaged infrastructure means rolling blackouts might be unavoidable. Citizens also worry about the health, economic, and public safety issues arising from blackouts. 

According to the government website Environmental and Historic Preservation, rolling blackouts also impact air quality and food safety. Consequently, rolling blackouts can lead to socio-economic challenges.

This page will cover various aspects of rolling blackouts and provide a solution for consumers to deal with them.

• Why blackouts occur: Heatwaves, wildfire prevention, and an strained grid.
• What’s being done: Shift toward clean energy and upgrades to grid infrastructure.
• What you can do: Use solar batteries to keep essential devices running during outages.

What Causes California’s Rolling Blackouts?

The state’s rotating power outages have been primarily linked to an inadequate power supply during peak demand driven by extreme heat. As electricity consumption continues to rise across the U.S., the impact of these outages is expected to grow with each occurrence.

1. Climate Change Drives More Frequent Blackouts

Rising global temperatures and intense summer heatwaves, driven by climate change, are placing severe strain on California’s energy grid. Extended periods of extreme heat increase electricity demand as residents rely heavily on air conditioning, resulting in blackouts during peak consumption times.

To manage the load, California supplements its power with imports from neighboring states. However, the combination of rising temperatures, surging demand, and limited capacity continues to drive California rolling blackouts during critical summer months.

The increasing intensity of summer heat aligns with broader climate change trends. As Jane Baldwin, assistant professor of earth system science at UC Irvine, explains, “While California’s climate has always had year-to-year and month-to-month variability, the heat the state has experienced recently is consistent with climate change” (Lin & Ahn, Los Angeles Times).

2. Growing Demand Puts Pressure on the Grid

Blackouts are a symptom of California’s rising electricity demand. The state aims to have 60% of vehicles electric by 2030 and 100% by 2045, which will significantly increase strain on the power grid.

As energy consumption continues to rise, California’s power infrastructure must expand to prevent grid overload and widespread outages. To meet its 2045 carbon-free goals, the grid’s capacity must grow from 50 gigawatts to 120 gigawatts.

The challenge lies in building renewable energy infrastructure while ensuring the existing grid keeps pace with today’s demands.

Heatwaves are already triggering rotating blackouts, and power demands continue to grow year after year. Without timely upgrades and proper renewable integration, California could experience more frequent outages as electric vehicles, homes, and industries draw even more energy from the grid.

This transition underscores the urgent need to upgrade and reinforce the grid to avoid blackouts becoming a regular occurrence as demand rises and climate challenges continue to stress the system. You can explore more about these challenges in the full reports from CalMatters here and from LA Times here.

3. Solar Storms Threaten Energy Reliability

While solar storms aren’t new, our increasing reliance on technology makes them a bigger concern today. Geomagnetic storms, caused by solar activity, disrupt satellites and power grids, raising the risk of blackouts and interrupting essential services like telecommunications and GPS systems. Even smaller solar events could now cause problems, like power outages or communication failures, that weren’t an issue in the past.

What is a Solar Storm?

A solar storm is a burst of energy from the sun that sends waves of charged particles into space. When these particles reach Earth, they can interfere with our planet’s magnetic field, affecting satellites, communication systems, and even power grids. Strong solar storms have the potential to cause power outages by disrupting electrical systems, which is why experts are working to prepare for these events.

For more information, check out the full article on solar storm preparedness here.

4. Clean Energy Transition Creates Energy Gaps

California faces power supply shortages as it shifts towards clean energy sources like wind and solar, closing down natural gas and nuclear power plants over the years. However, renewable sources have limitations—their energy production falls short when there is no wind or sun. The state is late in replacing lost energy, a planning oversight worsened by unexpected heat waves.

5. Wildfire Prevention and Safety Shutoffs

According to this research report, the probability of a power line tripping due to wildfires has consistently gone up. This means that as wildfires have increased, the number of power outages has gone up as well.

According to Newsweek, 220,000 homes in Long Angeles County were without power even after the recent Palisades Fire. The impact of wildfires on the power supply is immense.

Such rolling blackouts are introduced during and after wildfires for multiple reasons like:

• Preventative power shutoffs. According to a post published on the Western Fire Chiefs Association website, there is a direct link between wildfires and electrical power networks, with the latter causing 19% of the wildfires in the observed 5 years. That’s why, rolling blackouts are introduced to minimize the probability of a fire triggering from electrical power networks.
• High winds usually accompany or trigger wildfires. These and the resultant heat can cause equipment and powerline breakage, which can further spread wildfires. Proactively shutting off power can ensure that even if the power lines break, the chances of fire being ignited by the resultant sparks are negligible.
• Safety is another reason since utility companies in California can be held liable for any damage caused by their equipment even if they have complied with all the regulations. Shutting down power ensures no sparks, even when the power lines or equipment is damaged, which minimizes any liability and helps reduce risks.

Overall, rolling blackouts are almost necessary during the spread of wildfires or when conditions are conducive to one.

Equipment Failures

Any problem with the grid equipment can cause not only complete blackouts in certain areas but also rolling blackouts in other regions for the following reasons:

• Grid capacity is reduced in case of equipment failure. In that case, the entire load can’t be handled, so utility companies resort to rolling blackouts to avoid overloading.
• Equipment failure can have cascading effects on the entire grid. If no measures are taken, such failure can trigger a chain reaction, leading to a complete grid collapse. The best way to avoid such a situation is to introduce rolling blackouts to isolate various equipment to test and repair them.
• The most obvious reason for rolling blackouts can be to repair the failed equipment.
• Equipment failure can lead to other problems, such as voltage irregularities and short circuits. To avoid these, companies often opt for rolling blackouts to keep the rest of the grid operational.

The solution to these rolling blackouts is simple.

Installing a solar power system with a battery back up ensures your electricity supply is interrupted. 

That means you will have electricity even when the public utility company resorts to rolling blackouts.

As explained below, a battery backup solution can also be a win-win situation for consumers and the grid.

Benefits of Battery Backup Solutions

Apart from avoiding power outages, battery backup solutions offer numerous other advantages like:

• Such solutions maximize energy independence. Power stored during the day can be used at night or even when the sunlight intensity is less due to clouds, reducing energy dependence on the grid.
• At times when the energy demand is at its peak and the electricity rates are higher, such battery backup solutions can help you use cheaper solar electricity, helping you save money. This boosts the return you get from a solar energy system.
• With reduced dependency on the public grid, the solar energy system and battery backup constantly minimizes home’s carbon footprint.
• Battery backup solutions of the right specifications can help reduce reliance on the public grid to 0. This, in turn, protects you against rising electricity costs.
• Energy independence can also boost a home’s resale value. Even a slight 5% to 6% increase can translate into thousands of dollars.

Case Study on Using Battery Backup Solutions to Avoid Blackouts

Such is the effectiveness of Battery Backup solutions that can help consumers and public utility companies alike.

According to a case study by consulting firm ICF International, adding new battery capacity was why California evaded blackouts in September 2022 during a heat wave. In August 2020, California faced blackouts when the power demand reached 46.8 GW. 

However, 2 years later, in September 2022, when power demand reached 51.4 GW, California could avoid blackouts because of the battery energy storage of 3.4 GW.

In fact, the consulting firm recommends adopting enhanced battery storage across the country to improve grid reliability.

Increased Power Outages

Bloom Energy’s real-time outage map above shows how blackouts affect both urban and rural areas, illustrating the unpredictability of California’s power supply. Even small disruptions can ripple across communities, impacting businesses, schools, and critical services.

Unfortunately, California blackouts have increased over the past several years, driven by rising electricity demand, grid vulnerabilities, and wildfire risks.

Planned public safety power shut-offs (PSPS) are used to prevent wildfires, leaving over 2 million people without power—some for several days, and others for as long as six days.

In August 2020, during a heatwave, California’s Independent System Operator (CAISO) cut power to hundreds of thousands of residents for two hours, revealing the fragile state of the grid. Rolling blackouts continued throughout 2020 as the grid struggled to meet demand.

With aging infrastructure and reliance on intermittent renewable sources, California’s grid remains vulnerable. Solar and wind power are crucial for emission reduction, but they often fall short during extreme weather.

Solar batteries provide a lifeline by storing excess energy to power homes during blackouts. They ensure essential appliances, such as refrigerators and medical equipment, stay operational. As blackouts become more frequent, integrating battery backups will be key to ensuring reliable energy access.

Using a Backup Battery for Blackouts

Power outages in California are unavoidable and sometimes unexpected, but you can get ready for them.

Rolling blackouts and solar energy may not always go hand in hand. During the power shutdown, traditional home solar systems shut off to prevent live electricity from flowing back into the grid, as it could be hazardous to workers repairing the power line. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem—solar batteries.

A solar battery stores excess energy from the solar panels, allowing you to have backup power as needed. It is an excellent addition to your system, especially in California, where intermittent power outages happen.

Solar Battery Usage

The average capacity of a solar battery is enough for the basics:

• Cooking
• Running the fridge
• Lighting
• Charging mobile devices
• Powering medical equipment
• Keeping the internet on

Unfortunately, battery backup cannot handle more demanding appliances like the HVAC system.

How long your battery lasts depends on its capacity and power rating. A solar battery system with higher kilowatt-hours has more capacity for energy storage. However, the power rating is the electrical load it can provide at any given time—the higher it is, the more appliances it can run simultaneously. Look for a higher capacity and suitable power rating for appliances you prioritize using.

FAQs

Why does California shut off power?

California shuts down power through Public Safety Power Shutoffs to prevent wildfires, which can be caused by the electric infrastructure.

What is the purpose of a rolling blackout?

The purpose of rolling blackouts is to balance the grid, avoid overloading, and avoid uncontrolled power outages.

How long do rolling blackouts last in California?

Rolling blackouts in California can last 1 to 3 hours or more and usually occur at night. The best way to avoid problems is to opt for a solar energy system with a battery backup solution.

Which state has the most rolling blackouts?

According to PowerOutage.us, a site that tracks power outages in the USA, California has the maximum number of consumers without power. The current number is over 50,000 customers. Thus, the unfortunate distinction goes to California.

Battery Backups with Current Home

For a more secure power backup, consider installing more than one battery to your solar energy system.

Ensure you’re always ready for power outages with a battery backup system. Get in touch with Current Home to discover the best solar energy storage solution for you.