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.
- 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.
this process is like “repairing a car while driving”
Rob Nikolewski of the LA Times
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
Besides insufficient power supply, rolling blackouts are enforced for public safety. Electricity providers shut down the grid to protect power lines against destructive wildfires during hot, dry days.
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.
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.
