As Southern California grapples with an intense heat wave, pressure on the power grid has left thousands without electricity across Los Angeles County.
Several cities across the region hit record temperatures on Friday. Although the forecast indicates the worst of the heat wave has passed, temperatures are still expected to remain in the 90s and even into the 100s over the weekend.
The extreme heat has increased reliance on appliances like air conditioning units, which has further strained the power grid.
As of Sunday morning, Southern California Edison (SoCal Edison) reported 14 power outages affecting 424 customers.
Increased demand led to outages in Torrance on Saturday, leaving local businesses without electricity for hours, including roughly half of Del Amo Mall.
“We came to the mall to enjoy the air conditioning in a comfortable, covered area,” said David Sanchez. “Now, half the mall doesn’t even have power.”
Outages also frustrated customers at a local Chase Bank, as they were unable to use the ATMs to withdraw cash.
Several traffic lights in the Torrance area were affected, leading to significant traffic congestion. SoCal Edison crews were seen working at a local substation, attempting repairs.
Electric Outage in California (Photo: Luis Sinco)One worker explained to FOX 11’s Matthew Seedorff that the heightened demand caused by the extreme heat led to some equipment failures.
SoCal Edison estimated that most outages would be resolved by midnight Saturday.
Torrance wasn’t the only city hit by outages on Saturday. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) reported over 7,000 outages across the city, with neighborhoods like Exposition Park, Highland Park, and Silver Lake being the most affected.
LADWP attributed the outages to the high temperatures, noting that electrical equipment can “overheat when it doesn’t have the ability to cool down overnight.”
Overnight temperatures have remained unusually high during this prolonged heat wave.
In Rancho Palos Verdes, some homes have been without power for several days after SoCal Edison shut it off due to concerns over land movement. However, those with electricity still faced challenges in powering their air conditioners.
“We have a small portable air conditioner, and it has tripped the breaker three times already,” said Rancho Palos Verdes resident Paul Picillo. “We’ve lost power twice.”
Pasadena experienced similar issues over the weekend. The city initiated rolling blackouts on Friday after “equipment failure caused by high heat,” according to Pasadena Water & Power. Power has since been fully restored to all affected customers.