blackouts News

Japan’s Stressed Power Grid Faces New Test With Arctic Blast on Way

TOKYO — Japan’s overstretched electricity grid is likely to receive another Arctic blast in the coming days, which is already pushing up wholesale prices and may stress generators as they struggle to keep units running after a powerful quake. While …

Power Cuts Begin in California as Winds Threaten to Spark Fires

Power shutoffs that could ultimately affect more than 1 million people in Southern California began Wednesday morning as high winds raised the risk of live wires sparking wildfires. Edison International’s Southern California Edison cut electricity to 849 homes and businesses …

Tropical Storm Eta to Drench Florida With Downpours for Days

After coming ashore in the Florida Keys overnight, Tropical Storm Eta will wander the eastern Gulf of Mexico, dumping heavy rain on the Sunshine State and raking it with gusty winds. Eta will likely become a Category 1 hurricane later …

California Doomed to Frequent Blackout Risk by Battery Shortage

As the threat of blackouts continues to plague California, officials are pointing to battery storage as a key to preventing future power shortfalls. But the Golden State is going to need a lot more batteries to weather the next climate-driven …

Get Ready for More, Longer Blackouts

By mid-Monday morning, storms sweeping north from the Gulf Coast had left more than 1.3 million out of power in the U.S. Under normal circumstances, this would have called for the mass mobilization of crews to get the lights back …

California Blackouts Boost Demand for Power Storage

Power cuts during California’s devastating wildfire season have boosted demand for combined solar panels and battery storage solutions as businesses look to mitigate economic damage from future blackouts. Billions of dollars in economic activity were lost from mass power shutoffs …

California’s Gov. Newsom Had ‘Baptism by Fire’ in 1st Year

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — During his inaugural address last January, California Gov. Gavin Newsom made only a passing reference to wildfires and never mentioned the state’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric. Both soon became inescapable topics. PG&E filed for bankruptcy …

PG&E Plunges as It Races to Meet Governor Bankruptcy Demand

PG&E Corp. shares plummeted after California Governor Gavin Newsom rejected its bankruptcy restructuring plan, forcing the company to make sweeping changes to meet his demands. The state’s largest power company has until Tuesday to address conditions that Newsom laid out …

California Threats Jump from Fires to Floods as Wet Season Hits

California’s climate threats could soon be jumping from wildfires and blackouts to floods and mudslides as the wet season kicks into gear. About half the water that falls in the state in any given year does so in the 90 …

Wildfires Force Businesses to Prepare for Disruption

NEW YORK — The wildfires that are rampant this time of year in California force small business owners to be prepared in the same way as owners in other parts of the country who deal with tornadoes and other natural …