SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It was a 10-day test of California’s ability to keep the lights on and maintain its green-energy crusade, an unprecedented heat wave that pushed the state’s power grid to the brink of rolling blackouts.
And as far as California policymakers are concerned, the state did just fine. Despite one close call on the worst night, the Independent System Operator, which manages the grid, got through the relentless 110-degree weather without ever running out of electricity.
“We are squeaking by, and I think that is a remarkable achievement,” said Michael Wara, a Stanford University climate expert who has advised the Legislature on energy issues. “We are leading the the world in building a grid that is clean and reliable and always works, even in times like this.”
