Utilities across Southern California are alerting customers that electricity could be cut as a precaution to limit wildfire danger. According to Edison International's Southern California utility, as a precaution it could shut off electricity to 9,990 Riverside County customers, south of San Bernardino National Forest, during Friday and Saturday. Sempra's San Diego Gas & Electric Co. likewise indicated that over 35,000 customers in "at-risk communities" near the foothills could be switched off.
It is not just hot, it is hot and dry. Falling humidity and gusty, desiccating winds are pairing with out-of-season heat to parch brush and dead grass. Downtown Los Angeles is forecast to hit 97F (37C) on Saturday, and the National Weather Service has posted excessive heat warnings and watches across the region stretching from Friday through next Thursday.
As air conditioners hum, California's main grid now expects electricity demand to rise above 43.2 gigawatts on Tuesday. That is a sharp reset from earlier California ISO guidance that had October's daily peaks staying under 38 GW. The US Climate Prediction Center says the West's unusual warmth should hold through midmonth. Commodity Weather Group adds that the US, much of Canada, and Mexico are likely to stay warmer than normal through month end.
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By one of the measures energy traders watch closely - population weighted cooling degree days - the contiguous US logged 258 in September, trailing only 262 in September 2019, according to Matt Rogers, president of Commodity Weather Group. Looking ahead, the only areas likely to run cooler than average in the month long outlook are northern Maine and the Canadian Maritimes, while New York City and most of New England may land near typical levels. Translation for real life: higher heat can lift utility loads and wildfire risk at the same time, which is the kind of friction that can ripple into bills, reliability, and local businesses long before it shows up in quarterly reports.
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