California to Build Temporary Gas Plants to Avoid Blackouts

California, a state that has been aggressively weaning its power grid off of fossil fuels, is now working on adding several natural gas-fired plants in an effort to keep the lights on this summer.

The California Department of Water Resources is in the process of procuring five temporary gas-fueled generators that have individual capacities of 30 megawatts, said spokesman Ryan Endean. The units will be installed at existing power plants and are expected to be operating by the middle of September.

The move comes after California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the power grid on concern ...