The alternative energy producers, which sell directly to the utilities, have been curtailing deliveries over the last several weeks because near-bankrupt Edison and PG&E have been paying little or nothing for the power they generate. Many of these small generators say they have run out of money to continue operations.
Other suppliers reached credit limits and stopped selling to the state Department of Water Resources, which became the state's primary electricity buyer in mid-January after some generators refused to do business with the cash-strapped utilities. On Monday, state lawmakers warned that they may cut off further funding until they are presented a clear-cut plan for the state to be reimbursed by ratepayers.
Worsening the power situation, suppliers in the drought-stricken Northwest cut transmissions from their hydroelectric plants by 2,000 megawatts.
Further adding to the woes, the Mohave power plant in Nevada, a major supplier to California, went down for unscheduled maintenance. That resulted in another 1,400-megawatt reduction.
Monday's outages hopscotched across the state with seeming randomness--knocking power out on one side of the block but sparing another, darkening half a mall while leaving the other side lighted. But there was a method to the madness.
Utilities divide their millions of customers into "blocks" that areblacked out one by one. Also, customers on a circuit that provides power to essential services, such as fire departments and police stations, are exempt from blackouts, representing up to half of all utility customers.
On Monday the disruptions rotated statewide from block to block on roughly an hourly basis.
The strain on California's grid was apparent early in the day when Cal-ISO declared a Stage 2 emergency at 6 a.m., indicating that reserves were projected to fall below 5%.
A 10 a.m. transformer failure at the Nevada plant pushed the grid into a Stage 3 emergency, meaning the state was within 1.5% of running out of available power. Within two hours, the blackouts began.
Most Californians took the hassle in stride.
When the lights went out at Marshall Fundamental Magnet in Pasadena, Principal Susan Ballantyne had the staff escort students to their classes after the second lunch period ended.
"We said, 'Use your wristwatch.' " Ballantyne said. " 'When fifth period is over, release the students. Sixth period will begin as usual.' It did."
