Southern California Warning Issued For Possible Rolling Blackouts

Brett Hershman

As Southern California braces for an incoming heat wave, California's electric grid operator is requesting emergency reductions in electricity today and may do so again tomorrow. Highs are expected to hit triple digits in the Los Angeles area.

Rolling blackouts are possible for Southern California as the high temperatures can potentially cause power disruptions. A shortage of Natural Gas in the region is partly responsible for the potential blackouts, as the area is still feeling the effects of a massive gas leak at Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE)'s Aliso Canyon underground storage facility.

Even though the leak was fixed in February, the facility is still out of operation as it continues to undergo investigation to spot any hidden defects. It's possible there could be up to 14 days of rolling blackouts in Southern California this summer due to the gas shortage.

Sempra Energy is California's largest energy supplier.

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