CA Electric grid sees drop during total solar eclipse

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- While just about everyone was looking up the sky during the solar eclipse, PG&E employees were looking at their grid, monitoring energy production.

California is heavily dependent on solar energy. The eclipse, which blocked 75 percent of the sun in the Bay Area, posed a major test for the state.

"Solar power dropped by about 2,000 megawatts in our system at our peak at around 10:15 a.m.," explained Matt Nauman with PG&E.

VIDEO: Watch total solar eclipse in under 2 minutes

To put that into perspective, one megawatt can power a thousand homes. Nauman says customers were not impacted. That's because the company was able to replace what was lost with a combination of other sources, like natural gas, wind and hydropower.

Yet the grid worked just as they had hoped.

"It's a great test that the grid can balance renewables with other sources of power. And I think that's what came through today," he said.

The dip started just after 9 a.m. And as soon as the eclipse was over, generation spiked.

Spokesman Steven Greenlee says there were no problems, thanks in part to the weather.

"We were worried there was going to be a heat wave or a very hot day today. That didn't occur, so we got lucky on the weather," said Greenlee.

FULL DETAILS: Rare total solar eclipse 2017