Natural gas leak may cause summer blackouts
Energy officials say a natural gas well blowout last year that crippled a major energy supply for Southern California could lead to blackouts this summer.
The chairman of the California Energy Commission said Tuesday that the partial shutdown of the Aliso Canyon storage field near Los Angeles could lead to short-term power outages for up to 14 days.
The Southern California Gas Co. facility has not fully operated since a massive leak was discovered in October.
The field still has some gas in it, but officials are planning for expected shortages when gas is needed to power electric plants during peak summer demands.
The Energy Commission and other agencies released a draft plan that calls for more than a dozen measures, including conservation by residents, to prevent power outages.
