Natural gas shortage could cause rolling blackouts in southern California

• 8 years ago (2016-06-20)
• David Flin

North America 1021

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California regulators and utility executives fear that a shortage of natural gas in the Los Angeles area could trigger up to two weeks of rolling electrical blackouts this summer.

The state’s electric grid operator warned that it may call for emergency reductions in electricity use when a heat wave in southern California is expected to push up demand for air conditioning. Without conservation, officials fear power plants could run out of fuel and trigger rolling blackouts.

Although the USA as a whole does not have a shortage of natural gas, the Los Angeles region does, because of the massive gas leak last winter at California’s largest gas storage facility, Aliso Canyon.

An analysis by California’s energy agencies said that the Los Angeles area could suffer localised blackouts on as many as 14 days this summer, unless measures are able to blunt the effect of the gas reduction.