Sun plunged into darkness

The company had to close down operations of its manufacturing plant outside San Francisco for two hours, and its sales and engineering unit in San Diego was also affected by the state-wide blackouts.

A shortage in electricity supply together with increased demand for power due to the warm weather could lead to further power cuts, according to California's main power companies. That will raise further concerns about the crippling economical impact of California's escalating energy crisis.

Further concerns were raised in Washington over fears the power shortages could spread to other parts of the continent because of the state's two dozen power links to the Western United States, Western Canada and part of Baja California in Mexico.