Rajit Gadh in The Washington Post: California scrambles to avoid blackouts as it pursues a green energy future

As California narrowly avoided widespread blackouts, the millions of residents who kept the grid afloat by jacking up thermostats and shutting appliances were not the only ones feeling the heat. Some energy scholars say California would have more than enough capacity if it harnessed its resources better. But outdated energy market rules make it tough for power providers to tap into all the potential resources. 

“There is more power out there than we need to stabilize the grid on these few days a year it is under stress,” said Rajit Gadh, director of the Smart Grid Energy Research Center at UCLA. “We just need to get the control systems and the infrastructure in place, and give people incentives.”