Port St. Lucie News Ft. It can store enough energy in batteries to power their refrigerator and other appliances for up to six hours if there is a blackout. The Vazquezes are among millions of Californians wondering how they will cope with what is expected to be several months of rolling blackouts. The prospect of daily power outages as the temperature and air conditioning use rise has left many people apprehensive, from people who require electric-powered medical devices in their homes to office workers worried about getting stuck in an elevator. California already has endured six days of rolling blackouts this year, each lasting about an hour and hitting different parts of the state.
Estimates vary about what lies ahead.
One industry-sponsored watchdog group, the North American Electric Reliability Council, predicted California would face an average of 20 hours a week of rolling blackouts. Across the country, reduced hydroelectric production because of the Pacific Northwest drought, an aging transmission system, rising costs for the natural gas that fires many power plants and increasing demand for electricity are expected to produce shortages and higher prices across the country. The stakes are high in California. It has the world s sixth-largest economy and is home to bellwether high tech companies such as Intel and Cisco Systems. A summer of rolling blackouts also will test the emotional mettle of Californians, who normally rally when faced with such natural disasters as earthquakes and wildfires.