Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

News

California Energy Experts Prepare For Another Hot Summer

Three power poles with intersecting power lines are shown with a bright and hot-looking yellow sunset in the background.
The sun sets behind power lines and poles in Rosemead, California
(
Frederic J. Brown
/
AFP/Getty Images
)

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

Last week, Californians across the state experienced the first heatwave of the summer, and the rising temperatures show no signs of letting up: authorities have issued another excessive heat warning in the L.A. area through Monday night.

With this sweltering heat comes a high demand for power. The worry is that Californians could cause a repeat of last August, where some people endured two nights of rolling blackouts.

“It's going to be touch-and-go for the next couple of months,” said Katherine Blunt, who covers renewable energy and utilities for The Wall Street Journal. “I think there's some cautious optimism that grid operators can avoid rolling blackouts again this year, but it's very much incumbent upon the hydroelectric power supply and some other variables that are going to drain supply.”

To prepare, Elliot Mainzer, the CEO of California Independent System Operator, said that new resources scheduled to go into effect this summer need to be expedited.

Support for LAist comes from

“We need to break down any barriers to getting them on the grid,” he said, “particularly the batteries which are going to play a very important role after sunset.”

An excessive heat watch is currently in effect for the Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley, and inland mountains through Monday evening.

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist