According to KGTV, more than 2,800 San Diego Gas & Electric customers were without power last Friday, forcing three Ramona Unified School District campuses to close in California. Meanwhile, the unusually hot conditions were expected to continue into mid-October.
SDG&E's outage map listed the cause as "unknown and still under investigation."
Here's what to know
According to KGTV, the outage forced the closure of Ramona High School, Olive Peirce Middle School, and Ramona Community Campus.
SDG&E said the outage was unplanned and not considered a Public Safety Power Shutoff. Planned shutoffs are used to reduce wildfire risk during dangerous weather like heat waves.
The utility also warned that shutoffs could still affect up to 35,000 customers during the period from Oct. 2 at 5 a.m. to Oct. 5 at 6 p.m., KGTV reported.
Why does it matter?
When power outages coincide with heat waves, the situation can have public safety implications.
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According to researchers at Yale University, air conditioning saves over 5,000 lives per year in the United States alone. They also found that air conditioning reduced heat-attributed mortality by 57%.
The study's findings highlighted that, in hot climates, air conditioning is a public health necessity.
When households lose access to electricity during heatwaves, the situation can quickly become life-threatening.
For homeowners that can afford it, installing home solar combined with a home battery can significantly reduce reliance on grid power. Especially when paired with an energy-efficient heat pump HVAC, these systems can even reduce energy costs.
Where can I learn more?
Outages like the one in Ramona are happening across the country and making people think about how the environment and public health intersect.
• Across northern California, wildfire fears put thousands at risk of preventive blackouts.
• In San Diego County, California, officials have warned residents about battery fires and toxic runoff.
• New research shows extreme heat and storms can prolong outages in vulnerable communities.
• As outages worsen, Generac and rivals are pushing backup generator, battery, and solar systems.
• In Hawai'i, officials said impending mass power outages could accompany a severe weather emergency.
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