The Grid Under Extremes: Pandemic Impacts on California Electricity Consumption

When confronted with crises and other extreme events, the core responsibility of the grid does not change: to meet society’s demand for electricity in a safe and reliable manner. However, these extreme events are now interacting with a transitioning grid system that is constantly evolving and adapting to meet new societal needs. This change includes the decarbonization of energy systems while also ensuring equity in its reliability, accessibility, and affordability of energy for all. In this article, we examine a single extreme event with unprecedented impacts on the energy system: the COVID-19 pandemic. Using California as an example, we explore in detail the pandemic-related impacts on electricity consumption and make recommendations for improving planning, forecasting, and other operations in response to extremes.