A Guide On Our Power Grid Amid Worsening Heat Waves (And Other Headlines)

Flipping a light switch in a dark room is so easy, a toddler can do it.

A guide on the power grid

But the actual process behind bringing electricity into a room in an instant takes a little more expertise … and a power grid, which is the network of power plants that help create energy for us.

I’ll admit — once I pay my utility bill, I don’t think twice about electricity. It’s just there.

But after reading my colleague Erin Stone’s latest article about the power grid and the impact stronger heat could have on it, I started paying attention. We’re already experiencing more days of hotter weather. By 2050, some areas in Los Angeles will experience 30 or so additional days with temperatures above 90 degrees, according to the L.A. County Climate Vulnerability Assessment. Then you have the Santa Ana winds, which drive up temperatures and add “fuel” to disastrous wildfires.

A flex alert text.

(

Erin Stone

/

LAist

)

Could our power grid get overwhelmed by our climate change crisis? In the summertime, we’re using A LOT more electricity. Our state is also on a progressive mission to electrify everything from our homes to our cars in order to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

As Erin explained, California will need to triple the amount of electricity it produces, with the aid of solar and wind power. By how much? Try 700% in the next 13 years. WOAH.

While Erin explained ways we can have more local and environmentally healthy energy sources, in the meantime, we will see higher utility bills as state officials consider transitioning into an income-based rate system.

“I hate to say it, but I think the reality in the next decade or two is just higher utility prices due to these combinations of factors,” said UCLA urban planning professor Greg Pierce. “Once we've fully transitioned, I do think there's potential for quite a bit of savings compared to what people are used to paying and what we would be paying if we just stayed on natural gas.”

At the end of the day, there are long-term benefits.

Read the rest of Erin's power grid guide to understand where the electricity comes from, why there’s an all-time high demand for it and how expensive it could get for us.

Stay safe and cool, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

How To LA

We’re here to help curious Angelenos connect with others, discover the new, navigate the confusing, and even drive some change along the way.

Listen Now

More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

• A fifth migrant bus that carried 44 people arrived in Los Angeles from Texas on Sunday. According to an immigration rights organization, most of the migrants have been connected to their families in the region. 
• L.A. is known for its night markets and leniency with permits. A new bill could remove bureaucracy around those permits in order to bring more night markets to other cities across California. 
• It’s the always highly anticipated Shark Week on Discovery! And, good news: Great white sharks are experiencing a comeback in California waters. My colleague Sharon McNary spoke with Chris Lowe from the “Shark Lab” at Cal State Long Beach. 
• Members of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA have differing perspectives on whether some non-AMPTP affiliated productions granted “interim agreements” should continue. My colleague Robert Garrova has more on this story. 
• The Temecula Valley Unified school board decided to backpedal from its original decision to ban Social Studies Alive! Textbook— and adopted it instead. This came right after Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened to charge the school district $1.6 million for the books as well as an additional $1.5 million fine. 
• Gotta catch them all? Attend the POKÉMON X KOGEI | Playful Encounters of Pokémon and Japanese Craft at the Japan House Los Angeles to see some dope artwork of Pikachu and the gang starting on Tuesday. Watch the USA vs. Netherlands 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup match in various locations like the Hammer Museum on Wednesday night. Interested in spoken word and salsa? Attend Sunset Concerts: Telmary at the Skirball Cultural Center on Thursday night. Check out these events and more on the Best Things To This Week list.

Wait... one more thing

The top three tea-sipping trends

An actors strike would create a massive "double strike" that would bring nearly all U.S. film and television productions to a halt. SAG-AFTRA announced late Friday that negotiations on a contract that expired at midnight Friday will now continue until July 12.

(

Robyn Beck

/

AFP via Getty Images

)

THREE —An unlikely double feature exceeded box office expectations

For months, “Barbenheimer” memes have been blowing up (no pun intended) on my Twitter timeline. It turns out both Barbie and Oppenheimer exceeded expectations with their box office numbers. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie made $155 million-plus domestically, making it the biggest domestic opening in North America directed by a woman. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer beat out expectations, making $80.5 million.

TWO — Elon Musk changes Twitter to the letter X 

It seems like every week, billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk has a new development up his sleeve. On Sunday, he announced plans to change the social media platform’s blue bird logo with just the letter X. His only explanation behind why he was making this change was that he liked the letter X. He said it would launch Sunday at midnight. Read more from NPR’s Juliana Kim.

ONE — How you can support workers on strike 

UPS workers. Hotel workers. Hollywood actors and writers. There are a lot of workers who are either currently picketing or potentially walking off the job across various industries right now in L.A. County. As these workers try to demand better conditions at their jobs, they are risking their livelihoods. The summer heat they’re marching in only makes it worse. My colleague Caitlin Hernández shares some ways you can help those on strike.