California Plans New Measures to Ensure Grid Reliability During Extreme Weather Events

The California Public Utilities Commission launched a proceeding to identify and execute actions that will ensure reliable electric service in the event of extreme, unanticipated weather events during summer of 2021, according to a Nov. 30 notice. This initiative is in light of the rolling outages that the state experienced due to severe heat storms earlier this year which resulted in the California Independent System Operator initiating rotating power outages to prevent the possibility of a formidable single outage.

The commission has set a tentative deadline to finalize measures by April 2021 so as to affirm the implementation of said actions by the beginning of the summer. It remains to be seen whether the agency will extend certain programs beyond 2021 and which measures would be triggered in absolute emergency circumstances.

The proceeding will examine multiple options, including:

• Evaluating mechanism that encourages load shifting by compensating customers for switching to back-up generators;  
• Updating the Flex Alert program by expanding its application to social media (e.g., paid advertising content) and consumer devices;  
• Engaging diverse customer groups in load reduction measures, such as new event-based demand response programs or revising existing supply-side demand management programs; and, 
• Directing investor-owned utilities to develop new supply-side resources that can be brought online in 2021 and procure incremental capacity from existing resources, and retrofitting existing generators.

The commission will conduct a telephonic pre-hearing conference on Dec. 15.