The California ISO warns that excessive heat could stress the energy grid, leading to blackouts. The Flex Alert said:
“During a Flex Alert, consumers are urged to reduce energy use from 4-9 p.m. when the system is most stressed because demand for electricity remains high and there is less solar energy available.”
“Lowering electricity use during that time will ease strain on the system, and prevent more drastic measures, including rotating power outages.”
This alert comes as several cities in California will face over 100-degree weather.
Elliot Mainzer runs California’s biggest power grid. Mainzer said:
“It sends chills down my spine … It’s amazing. We’re making a real dent in the state’s carbon emissions.”
On September 6, 2020, the failed Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, tweeted:
“It’s almost 3 p.m. Time to turn off major appliances, set the thermostat to 78 degrees (or use a fan instead), turn off excess lights and unplug any appliances you’re not using. We need every Californian to help conserve energy. Please do your part.”
Knowing that California deals with blackouts, some California leaders, led by Gavin Newsom, thought it would be a smart idea to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Now, they are urging residents not to charge their electric vehicles due to concerns about the power grid and blackouts.
During his monologue on Tuesday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson said:
“Electric vehicles can be, above all, controlled by the people who control the grid and that means the next time that California’s energy regulator decides to shut off the power, you can’t go anywhere. You can’t leave California. Now, a few things you might notice about this. First, they’re doing this because they’re so concerned about carbon emissions and burning fossil fuels adds to carbon emissions and is destroying the planet. If you actually were worried about that, what’s the first thing that you would ban? Well, private jet travel obviously, private jet travel emits a lot of carbon. In just 60 minutes, a private jet emits more carbon dioxide, in fact, than the average American household emits in three months in one flight.”
Even those with electric vehicles now also have gas-powered vehicles in case of a blackout. But it will come to a point where there will be no gas-powered vehicle left to purchase, and knowing how the California “leaders” handle crises, residents don’t trust them to strengthen or improve the power grid.
As I reported, the ban on gas-powered vehicles is likely illegal and unrealistic. As Mandy Gunasekara stated:
“First, it could violate the Commerce Clause as it creates unreasonable burdens on interstate commerce, i.e. the manufacture and sale of vehicles. The Supreme Court has long held that the Commerce Clause has been a “self-executing limitation” on the power of States to enact laws which restrict interstate commerce. Second, under the Clean Air Act, California is required to receive a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in order to set its own, more stringent, emissions standards.”
She also detailed why it is unrealistic and wouldn’t significantly impact the environment. You can read the full article here.
Not only is the proposal unrealistic and likely illegal, but the government should not be telling the people what they can and can’t drive. Some can’t afford electric cars, and some can afford them but don’t want to drive fully electric, so this proposal by California is not going to do anything besides restricting the options of what residents can drive.
Some might not care because they don’t live in California, but it is already spreading to different states. If we don’t challenge this decision and potentially overturn it in the courts, many more states could follow California’s gas-powered ban policy.