Energy & Science

California May Knock Out Power to 5 Million People Tonight

State’s grid operator reduces size of potential outages
Governor declares state emergency on fires, extreme weather

WATCH: The State of California instituted rolling blackouts for the first time since the 2001 energy crisis as it deals with surging demand for power amid one of the worst heat waves in decades.Markets: European Close.” (Source: Bloomberg)

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By Mark Chediak, Brian Eckhouse, and Chris Martin

August 18, 2020 at 3:31 AM UTC

Updated on

August 18, 2020 at 11:42 PM UTC

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California officials warned that 5 million people could lose electricity in the latest round of rolling blackouts but said cuts could be averted if enough homes and businesses throttle back energy use.

The outages were expected to begin as early as 5 p.m. local time Tuesday, the operator of the state’s power grid said. An unrelenting heatwave gripping the state has pushed the grid to the brink of collapse in recent days and fueled wildfires from Los Angeles to Napa.