California Air Resources Board

There are many ways to relieve pressure on the electrical grid during extreme heat events. While some have no direct emissions associated with them – like adjusting your thermostat or turning off your lights – there are some that have emission impacts in our communities. Under the Governor’s direction through a Proclamation of a State of Emergency, backup generators and power plants are allowed to operate outside of their permit requirements and, depending on the severity of the energy shortfall, ships at berth are allowed to use on their auxiliary engines in lieu of shore power. The Climate Heat Impact Response Program (CHIRP) provides a pathway for the reporting of emissions and lays out the plan for mitigating the emission increases associated with these emergency measures. The mitigation plan also provides opportunities to further enhance and support California’s grid resiliency to reduce the need for emergency measures in the future.
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