California unlikely to run short of electricity this summer thanks to storms, new power sources
California regulators say the state is unlikely to run short of electricity this summer, thanks to new power sources and a wet winter that filled reservoirs to restart hydroelectric power plants shuttered during the drought RICHMOND, Calif. -- California regulators say the state is unlikely to run out of electricity this summer because of a big increase in power storage and a wet winter that filled the state's reservoirs enough to restart hydroelectric power plants that were dormant during the drought. The nation's most populous state normally has more than enough electricity to power the homes and businesses of more than 39 million people. But the electrical grid has trouble when it gets really hot and everyone turns on their air conditioners at the same time. It got so hot in August 2020 that California's power grid was overwhelmed, prompting the state's three largest utility companies to shut off electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes for a few hours o...