CA officials: Loss of solar power in eclipse won’t kill the grid

As the Golden State waited for its brief dip into darkness Monday, managers of California’s electrical grid assured a not-terribly-nervous public that they had this whole solar eclipse thing well in hand.

Yes, the sun’s temporary disappearing act would plunge the state’s fast-multiplying solar farms into semi-darkness, just when they’d normally be revving up. Yes, that would cost the state a lot of electricity, roughly enough to supply more than 4 million homes.

Yes, the managers were prepared, making sure fossil fuel power plants and hydroelectric dams were ready to supply a little extra juice.