Page 11 - California

California to see blackouts with highest-ever demand amid brutal heat wave

California will face its highest chance of blackouts this year as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket the state with triple-digit heat, officials have warned. As people crank up their air conditioners, the state forecast record levels of energy use that could exceed supply Monday evening, said Elliot Mainzer, president of California Independent System Operators, which runs the state's electrical grid. The state could fall 2,000 to 4,000 megawatts of electricity short of its power supply, which represents as much as 10 per cent of normal demand, he said. State energy officials said the electrical load on Tuesday potentially could hit 51,000 watts, the highest demand ever seen in California. CAISO issued a Flex Alert call for voluntary conservation between 4 pm and 10 pm on Monday and for 4 pm to 10 pm Tuesday, making seven alerts in as many days. Consumers were urged to keep air conditioners at 78 degrees (25.5 degrees C) or higher during the period and avoiding using major ...

California calls grid emergency with power use at 5-yr high amid heat wave

California declared a power grid emergency as a blistering and sustained heat wave threatens to push the state's electricity system to its limit

US reports over 17,000 monkeypox cases; New York, California top list

The US has confirmed over 17,000 monkeypox cases, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Southern California hit by severe heat wave, temp to rise to triple digits

This week's excessive heat for the region will be the warmest and longest heat wave so far this summer, said David Sweet, a meteorologist

Climate crisis: California votes to ban gas-powered car sales by 2035

By 2026, 35% of new cars in California must be zero-emission vehicles, and the quota will rise to 68% by 2030, and 100% in 2035

California nuclear power plant extension challenged in legislative proposal

A proposal circulated Friday by California Democratic legislators would reject Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to extend the lifespan of the state's last operating nuclear power plant and instead spend over $1 billion to speed up the development of renewable energy, new transmission lines and storage to maintain reliable power in the climate change era. The legislative plan obtained by The Associated Press reveals mounting tension between the Democratic governor and some members of his own party over a politically volatile issue. The rift was revealed one week after Newsom proposed giving plant operator Pacific Gas & Electric a forgivable loan up to $1.4 billion as part of a plan to keep the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant running beyond its scheduled closing by 2025. Newsom has argued that as hotter temperatures drive up the demand for power, the twin-domed reactors along the coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco would provide a necessary buffer against electrical blackouts, as

Three killed after planes collided in California while landing: Officials

Three people were killed after two small planes collided in Northern California while trying to land at a rural airport, authorities said Friday. The names of those killed after their planes crashed Thursday at the Watsonville Municipal Airport will be released once their families have been notified, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. There were two people aboard a twin-engine Cessna 340 and only the pilot aboard a single-engine Cessna 152 during the crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The city-owned airport does not have a control tower to direct aircraft landing and taking off. The airport accounts for about 40% of all general aviation activities in the Monterey Bay area, according to the City of Watsonville's website. Watsonville, an agricultural town near Monterey Bay, is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of San Francisco. The sheriff's office said the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Boar

At least two die after planes collide in California while trying to land

Two planes collided in Northern California while trying to land at a local airport Thursday and at least two of the three occupants were killed, officials said. The collision occurred at Watsonville Municipal Airport shortly before 3 p.m., according to a tweet from the city of Watsonville. There were two people aboard a twin-engine Cessna 340 and only the pilot aboard a single-engine Cessna 152 during the crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Officials say multiple fatalities were reported but it was not immediately clear whether anyone survived. The pilots were on their final approaches to the airport when the collision occurred, the FAA said in a statement. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, which did not immediately have additional details, are investigating the crash. No one on the ground was injured. Photos and videos from the scene posted on social media showed the wreckage of one small plane in a grassy field by the airport. One picture

Caste in California: Tech giants confront ancient Indian hierarchy

Apple updated its general employee conduct policy about two years ago to prohibit discrimination on the basis of caste, which it added alongside existing categories such as race, religion, gender, age

Not so fast: California's last nuke plant might run longer than 2025

An aggressive push toward renewable energy has run headlong into anxiety over keeping the lights on in California, where the largest utility is considering whether to try to extend the lifespan of the state's last operating nuclear power plant. California is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement that for decades has had a fraught relationship with nuclear power, which doesn't produce carbon pollution like fossil fuels but leaves behind waste that can remain dangerously radioactive for centuries. Now environmentalists find themselves at odds with someone they usually see as an ally: Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a green energy advocate who supported the 2016 agreement calling for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant to close by 2025 but now is a leading voice to consider a longer operating run. Newsom often is mentioned as a possible presidential candidate and an attorney for a consumer advocacy group that routinely challenges plant operator Pacific Gas & Electric in

California hits grim milestone of 10 million confirmed Covid cases

California hit another grim milestone in the Covid-19 pandemic as the most populous state in the US reached 10 million confirmed cases

2 killed as raging McKinney wildfire continues to grow in California

Two people were found dead as the raging McKinney Fire, that has become the largest so far this year in the drought-stricken California, has continued to grow in size, authorities said.

California governor declares monkeypox state of emergency

California's governor has declared a state of emergency to speed efforts to combat the monkeypox outbreak, becoming the second state in three days to take the step.

California Governor declares emergency over wildfire near Yosemite

A fast-moving brush fire near Yosemite National Park exploded in size into one of California's largest wildfires of the year, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people and shutting off power

US reports over 1,000 monkeypox cases from 43 states; California leads

The United States had reported over 1,000 confirmed monkeypox cases in 43 states as of Wednesday, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

California mulls reinstating indoor mask mandate as Covid-19 cases surge

Health officials in California are considering reinstating indoor mask mandates as Covid-19 cases continued to rise due to the highly contagious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants.

2 dead, three wounded at four 7-Eleven stores in US' California: Cops

Two people were killed and three were wounded in shootings before dawn Monday at four 7-Eleven stores in Southern California, authorities said

3 dead, 2 injured in shooting at house party in Southern California

Three men were killed and two others were injured early Sunday morning in a shooting at a house party in Southern California, Xinhua reported citing local media

California first to cover health care for all low-income immigrants

It's a long-sought victory for health care and immigration activists, who have been asking for the change for more than a decade

Who is Dr Arati Prabhakar, US Prez Joe Biden's science advisor nominee?

Prabhakar was three when her family immigrated to the United States from Delhi