July 10, 2017
SMERC director quoted in LA Times article on LADWP explosion that resulted in power outage for valley residents

On July 8, 2017, an explosion at the LADWP power plant in Northridge left 140,000 customers without power in the San Fernando Valley. SMERC director, Rajit Gadh, discussed how weather and the subsequent demand for power can have an effect on these substations.

See excerpt below:
As residents switch on air conditioners to deal with the sweltering July heat, it means the region draws more power, said Rajit Gadh, engineering professor at UCLA. Substations used to transfer that energy require cooling or they can become overheated.

"When temperatures rise that much, then lots of things can potentially go wrong, including the electric grid," Gadh said.

Read full article: Los Angeles Times

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