What the wildfires tell us about the shortcomings of California’s electrical grid

Q&A with UCLA energy systems expert Eric Fournier

In addition to the vast destruction they have caused, the wildfires that have engulfed California in recent weeks have laid bare serious concerns about the state’s electric grid.

In an email interview, UCLA’s Eric Fournier explains why the architecture of California’s grid isn’t well suited for such extreme conditions and what it would take to improve it.