The “heat season” lasts from May to September or when the heat risk is high and the need for cooling is increased.
Heat-season power outages accounted for nearly half of all weather-related outages during the period studied. It is important to highlight that this study focuses on major outages that affect at least 50,000 customers or disrupt more than 300 megawatts of power. Taking this into account, there has been a 60% increase in heat-season power outages over the last 10 years compared to the first decade studied.
Broken down by region, the south is in the lead, followed by the southeast.
The West ranks lower on the list with a total of 48 power outages during the heat season. California in particular experienced 44 of these outages during this period.
Most of Southern California’s power outages do not fall into the main category examined in Climate Central’s study. “The typical customer experiences a power outage less than once a year, and outages last less than two hours on average,” noted Reggie Kumar, spokesman for Southern California Edison.
In 2023, weather-related equipment failures were the leading cause of power outages in Palm Springs, accounting for more than 71%.
The Adapting to tomorrow: driving a resilient future examines the findings of the Climate Adaptation Vulnerability Assessment (CAVA) in relation to working towards a clean energy future. It states: “The cost of investing now is far less than the cost of inaction and will help to insulate society against the uncertainty it will face in the future.”
Kumar explained, “Climate change and other factors are leading to unprecedented heat. We just experienced the hottest July on record. We know this is a concern, and we continue to prepare for it. SCE will improve the reliability of the grid to meet customer needs today and in the future as our load grows, and we will be able to make it flexible and efficient as we meet California’s clean energy goals by 2045.”
If you experience a power outage or are unable to cool down, there are cooling centers throughout the Coachella Valley. You can find a map of them here.
