What Caused California’s Blackouts?

Last week, short-term blackouts rolled across an overheated California after the grid operator said there was not enough power to meet demand. This wasn’t supposed to happen again. Not after the Enron scandal. Not after 19 years of reforms. We have a very different grid now. Renewables skeptics, including President Trump, are seizing on the incident. What really happened? Where do we place blame? We explain the confluence of grid-management factors.Then, coal power generation in the United States plunged 30% in just the first half of this year. But what Asia, where 80% of coal gets burned now? What hope is there for a coal decline there? We’ll look at China, Japan and India.Finally, stunning public health research. What happens when you combine this up-to-date science with the new, low-cost renewable energy? You get a blockbuster picture, that’s what. We’ll examine new research that shows the health benefits alone pay for our energy transition. Recommended reading:New York Times: Rolling Blackouts in California Have Power Experts StumpedGTM: Western Heat Wave Tests California’s Clean Grid TransitionTwitter: Ed Burgess Tesla Powerwall ThreadReuters: China's New Coal Projects Account for 90% of Global TotalThe Guardian: India Plans to Fell Ancient Forest to Create 40 New CoalfieldsNew York times: Japan Races to Build New Coal-Burning Power Plants, Despite the Climate RisksVox: Roberts: Air Pollution Is Much Worse Than We ThoughtPrinted version of Dr. Shindell’s testimonyThe Energy Gang is brought to you by Fluence, a global leader in battery-based energy storage technology and services. From commercializing the first grid-connected battery systems in 2008 to the multi-gigawatt fleet being deployed for customers globally today, the Fluence team is ensuring that storage is the cornerstone of the electric future. Learn more.The Energy Gang is brought to you by Nor-Cal Control. As a total controls and monitoring solution provider, Nor-Cal supports every phase of your project, from turnkey design solutions to post-OEM enhancements, troubleshooting and training. As the only system integrator in solar PV that comes from a traditional power generation background, Nor-Cal has earned a reputation as the “strongest in controls.” Learn more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What this episode covers

Last week, short-term blackouts rolled across an overheated California after the grid operator said there was not enough power to meet demand. This wasn’t supposed to happen again. Not after the Enron scandal. Not after 19 years of reforms. We have a very different grid now. Renewables skeptics, including President Trump, are seizing on the incident. What really happened? Where do we place blame? We explain the confluence of grid-management factors.Then, coal power generation in the United States plunged 30% in just the first half of this year. But what Asia, where 80% of coal gets burned now? What hope is there for a coal decline there? We’ll look at China, Japan and India.Finally, stunning public health research. What happens when you combine this up-to-date science with the new, low-cost renewable energy? You get a blockbuster picture, that’s what. We’ll examine new research that shows the health benefits alone pay for our energy transition. Recommended reading:New York Times: Rolling Blackouts in California Have Power Experts StumpedGTM: Western Heat Wave Tests California’s Clean Grid TransitionTwitter: Ed Burgess Tesla Powerwall ThreadReuters: China's New Coal Projects Account for 90% of Global TotalThe Guardian: India Plans to Fell Ancient Forest to Create 40 New CoalfieldsNew York times: Japan Races to Build New Coal-Burning Power Plants, Despite the Climate RisksVox: Roberts: Air Pollution Is Much Worse Than We ThoughtPrinted version of Dr. Shindell’s testimonyThe Energy Gang is brought to you by Fluence, a global leader in battery-based energy storage technology and services. From commercializing the first grid-connected battery systems in 2008 to the multi-gigawatt fleet being deployed for customers globally today, the Fluence team is ensuring that storage is the cornerstone of the electric future. Learn more.The Energy Gang is brought to you by Nor-Cal Control. As a total controls and monitoring solution provider, Nor-Cal supports every phase of your project, from turnkey design solutions to post-OEM enhancements, troubleshooting and training. As the only system integrator in solar PV that comes from a traditional power generation background, Nor-Cal has earned a reputation as the “strongest in controls.” Learn more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.