Posted on 09/08/2022 10:09:18 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
City ordered to cut power after dispatcher at Northern California Power Agency misunderstood directive from grid operator
When the city of Palo Alto shut off power to about 1,700 customers in the Midtown, Old Palo Alto and Industrial Park neighborhoods on Tuesday afternoon, utilities officials believed they were following an urgent order to conserve power from a state agency that oversees independent utility operators.
Now, however, it appears that the power outage was premature, unnecessary and based on a dispatcher's misunderstanding. The outage, which came in the midst of a sweltering heat wave, hit Palo Alto customers at about 6:30 p.m. and lasted for about 30 minutes before city officials learned about the error and restored power.
Palo Alto was asked to cut off power by the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA), a not-for-profit organization that represents numerous municipal utilities and that serves as an intermediary between these utilities and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages electricity flow. At about 5:17 p.m., CAISO issued an order known as an "energy emergency alert 3 (EE3)," a step that indicates that power outages may need to be implemented.
In receiving the order, however, a dispatcher with the Northern California Power Agency misinterpreted it as a request to shed 46.02 megawatts of electricity to prevent widespread outages, according to a statement from the agency. The dispatcher then immediately communicated the directive to utility officials in Palo Alto, Alameda, Lodi, Santa Clara, Healdsburg and Ukiah, prompting them to turn off power.
Once the dispatcher contacted CAISO to inform them about the action, the individual was notified that there was a misunderstanding around the order. The NCPA then began the process of returning the load back into the system, according to its statement. The longest outages lasted about an hour, the NCPA reported.
In explaining the error, the NCPA noted that the issuance of the order represented the first time such an order had been declared in California.
The technocracy is staffed by idiots, just like Sacramento.
Ping
Yeah, someone dispatched a bunch of flat-earth demotard commies to Sacramento.
Oh, Palo Alto.
Idiots——are they even speaking ENGLISH????
Oh well, good practice for what is coming more and more often…
This statement is BS. CaCaLand has had rolling blackouts in previous years. Not the stupid ones “intended” to prevent fires, ones deliberately leaving citizens in the dark ‘cause the commie trash in charge can’t find their butts — or just don’t care.
The other day we avoid a rash of rolling blackouts because (according to those in charge) local authorities cut power. Urr, there is no way anyone would interpret a warning order to mean pull the switch. No dispatcher is that dumb.
This, like the other local outages, were intended to give TwosomeNewsome the opportunity to crow about how his warning appeals to conserve avoided massive blackouts. It was political cover.
Two points on that. TNewsome was inside wearing a jacket when he asked folk to turn off their AC. What a tool!
And, in Northern CaCaLand 50% of the customers are in areas immune to blackouts. OK, I could understand protecting hospitals and copper stations. But, 50%? Sounds like every politico and donor got immunity.
This is an attempt to shift the blame onto the operator, and to deflect blame from the politicians who caused the grid instability.
Yep. Focus on the mouse in the corner while ignoring the elephant in the room.
I have worked with operators in the control rooms. They must have independence to cut power when necessary without taking the time to ask permission. Minutes count. Often the rules are complicated and many. Sounds like they are blaming an overstressed operator when the real problem is the lack of spinning reserves.
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