California does not have it's own grid. It's part of the WRIC. They do not generate much power at all, so they import almost all of it on two heavily overloaded lines. It's only a matter of time before one of them fails, and the WRIC will be forced to disconnect California. The WRIC will not sacrifice itself to save California.
California's economy is failing. People are fleeing. Whole ranches have been just utterly abandoned. I don't like driving through it. It's grim.
1. “California does not have its own grid.”
False.
California is part of the
Western Interconnection, not “WRIC.”The Western Interconnection includes
14 U.S. states, parts of Canada, and northern Mexico.
But within that system, California
does operate its own major grid operator:
- CAISO — California Independent System Operator
CAISO manages:
- ~80% of California’s electric load
- Its own balancing authority
- Its own generation dispatch
- Its own reliability planning
So California
does have its own grid operator, even though it is interconnected with the Western grid.
2. “They do not generate much power at all, so they import almost all of it.”
Partially false.
According to the
California Energy Commission (CEC):
- California generates about 70–75% of the electricity it consumes.
- It imports 25–30%, mostly from the Pacific Northwest and Southwest.
California is a
large importer, but
not even close to “almost all.”
3. “They import on two heavily overloaded lines.”
False.
California’s imports come through
multiple major transmission corridors, not two lines.Examples include:
- Path 66 (Pacific DC Intertie)
- Path 65 (California–Oregon Intertie)
- Path 46 (Arizona–California)
- Path 27 (Nevada–California)
- Path 61 (Pacific Northwest AC lines)
There are
dozens of high‑capacity transmission paths feeding California.
No credible source states that California relies on “two overloaded lines.”
4. “The WRIC will disconnect California.”
No evidence.
There is
no regulatory mechanism or precedent for disconnecting a state from the Western Interconnection for being a net importer.
Grid reliability authorities (WECC, NERC, CAISO) do not have any published plans or warnings suggesting this.
This claim is
speculative, not factual.
5. “California’s economy is failing.”
False based on available economic data.
According to:
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
- World Bank
- IMF
- California Department of Finance
California remains:
- The largest state economy in the U.S.
- One of the top 5 economies in the world (depending on the year, typically #5 or #6)
- A global leader in tech, entertainment, agriculture, and manufacturing
California has economic challenges, but the claim that the economy is “failing” is
not supported by data.
6. “People are fleeing.”
Partially true.
California has experienced
net domestic out‑migration in recent years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
However:
- California’s total population has not collapsed.
- Much of the loss is offset by international immigration and births.
So “fleeing” is an exaggeration, but
net outflow is real.
7. “Whole ranches have been abandoned.”
No evidence of widespread abandonment.
There are
no statewide reports from:
- USDA
- California Department of Food & Agriculture
- County agricultural commissioners
showing mass abandonment of ranches.
Individual properties may be abandoned for many reasons (drought, bankruptcy, consolidation), but
there is no data showing a systemic statewide trend.
The claims:
- Use absolutes (“does not generate much power,” “almost all,” “two lines,” “failing”)
- Contain incorrect technical details
- Mix verifiable facts (imports, population shifts) with unsupported exaggerations
- Present subjective impressions (“It’s grim”) as if they were data
This indicates
strong bias and
low factual accuracy.
