California's reliance on alternative energy comes back to haunt it in heat wave

Washington Post:
Record heat put thousands in the dark in California. Climate scientists have known this was coming.

One study warned that electricity demand in heavily air-conditioned California would exceed supply as temperatures soared. Friday’s weather and the resulting blackouts illustrated that point.
What it points out is that alternative energy is not very effective in extreme weather situations.  While there may be some local record highs it is not the first time California has experienced temperatures in this range.  It is likely happening because they are not getting the normal cooling from winds off the Pacific coast. 

Actually, California probably has less air conditioning than Texas because of the normal cooling winds from the ocean.  Texas relies primarily on natural gas for its electricity and it is supplemented by wind energy and a small amount of solar energy.  California has largely done the opposite and its grid is much more vulnerable to blackouts.

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