California 'duck curve' will jolt its power grid

New York

WHEN the sun starts to set in California, there is one thing that you can count on: thousands of megawatts of natural gas-fired power plants quickly firing up to keep the state lit.

It is a daily phenomenon that will become more pronounced than ever this winter as California's ambitious clean energy goals have boosted the state's use of renewables. The surge in intermittent solar power will test the statewide electricity grid because it exacerbates the need for alternative sources such as gas outside of daylight hours. Regulators have warned that it will make California more vulnerable to price spikes and power disruptions.