California ISO says power supply adequate for summer

The Folsom-based California Independent System Operator Corp. says electricity supplies will be sufficient to meet the 2015 summer peak, even under extreme periods of once-a-decade hot temperatures.

ISO runs the state’s transmission grid.

In an analysis titled “2015 Summer Loads and Resources Assessment,” ISO said a boost to grid reliability will come from additional generation, mostly solar, added to the system; stable imports; and only moderate peak demand growth. That is expected to compensate for hydroelectric availability expected to be at its lowest level in 10 years, a byproduct of California’s ongoing drought.

ISO projected a 2015 summer peak of slightly more than 47,000 megawatts; the 2014 summer peak was 44,703 megawatts set on Sept. 15.

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 10:14 AM with the headline "California ISO says power supply adequate for summer."