Commentary
Orange County Power Authority recently launched into business amid promises that it would provide an adequate supply of electric power to its customers in southern California. Now it turns out that OCPA’s claim was premature, putting the region’s electric reliability in jeopardy. OCPA’s tenuous preparedness is only undermined by recent infighting within the agency’s executive suite.
Much of OCPA’s power is from out-of-state windmills and solar panels, but an equally important part for everyone, including Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, is what’s known as “resource adequacy.” Resource adequacy is the reliable back-up power that turns on when unreliable windmills and solar panels stop producing power. If resource adequacy fails to materialize when needed, the lights go out….