Californians are being advised not to charge their electric cars between 4 and 9pm starting Wednesday (yesterday)and running until Tuesday, in order to “reduce’ energy usage when the system is the most stressed because demand for electricity remains high.” The call to limit electric vehicle charging comes a week after state regulators banned the sale of new petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles from 2035.
Residents are also asked to set their thermostats at 78 degrees or higher, avoid using large appliances, and turn off unnecessary lights, to help reduce the strain on the power grid during this excessive heatwave.
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has put out a bulletin saying, ‘Lowering electricity use during that time will ease [the] strain on the system, and prevent more drastic measures, including rotating power outages.’
The new ban on the sale of gasoline powered cars requires automakers to reduce the number of gas guzzlers they sell in order to reach the first quota of the plan that mandates 35 percent of new cars, SUVs and small pickups sold in California by 2026 be zero-emission vehicles.
The quota increases every two years, with 51 percent by 2028, 68 percent by 2030 and then 100 percent of all new vehicles sold being battery-powered five years later – 20 percent of those sold can be hybrid plug-ins.
The new policy may combat emissions, but while California has the most charging stations in the nation, it will need 2.1 million by 2030 to meet the demand of the new massive fleet of electric vehicles.
More than 73,000 public and shared chargers have been installed to date, with an additional 123,000 planned by 2025.
These numbers fall well short of the state’s goal of 250,000 chargers by 54,000 installations.
California is expected to see mid to high 90s throughout the weekend and the West can also expect to deal with an intense and long heatwave.
Officials have not suggested how they plan on enhancing the power grid to deal with the onslaught of more electric vehicles, nor how it will deal with an overwhelmed power grid during heatwaves in the future because of it.
Wednesday’s call to conserve power was greeted with derision on Twitter, where some said it was proof the state had not thought through its green agenda.
CA ISO Public Information Officer Anna Gonzalez told DailyMail.com that the primary stress on the power grid in the summer is air conditioners, but said it was too soon to know the last effects more electric vehicles will have on the power grid as driver switch over.
“It’s too soon to tell what the impacts of the 2035 ban will be, but for now, we are asking EV owners to avoid charging during 4-9 pm on Flex Alert days, if possible. Instead, consumers can charge EVs earlier in the day, when solar supply is abundant and electricity prices likely lower.”
Governor Gavin Newson called the move to eventually an all-electric vehicle state “groundbreaking” and that the transition would make it “easier and cheaper for all Californians to purchase electric cars.”
The average price for a new electric vehicle in the US recently rose to $66,000, a more than 13 percent increase year over year, compared to the $43,338 for one that runs on petroleum.
According to Kelley Blue Book, the cost of EVs are, “well above industry average and more aligned with luxury prices versus mainstream prices.”
State officials have not said how the state plans to deal with the power grid becoming even more overwhelmed as it switches to more electric vehicles on the road and future heatwaves roll through the West.