How does this stack up with the other relatively recent news that Cali was asking people to unplug their EVs because the grid couldn't handle it? Was that just due to the fluctuating nature of renewables (cloudy, windless days)?
They even say so in the first paragraph.
> A voluntary alert advising Californians to conserve energy during a specific time frame was issued in mid-June 2021 to “help balance supply and demand” on the power grid during an extreme heatwave in the region. Unplugging electric vehicles during peak usage times was one recommended measure included in a list of power-saving strategies issued by the California System Operator.
Couldn't find a 2023 news article though
Kinda weird actually that the NYT spun that into an electric-car issue.
https://www.caiso.com/Documents/california-iso-extends-flex-...
As a society (natural monopoly), we pay to meet peak demand. In fact, most of the cost of electricity (in the US, in most markets...) is not the marginal cost of generation, but the amortization of fixed costs.
My reducing the peak demand, we reduce the need to build new infrastructure that is unnecessary for all but 8755 hours a year.