Altadena Now is published daily and will host archives of Timothy Rutt's Altadena blog and his later Altadena Point sites.

Altadena Now encourages solicitation of events information, news items, announcements, photographs and videos.

Please email to: Editor@Altadena-Now.com

  • James Macpherson, Editor
  • Candice Merrill, Events
  • Megan Hole, Lifestyles
  • David Alvarado, Advertising
Archives Altadena Blog Altadena Archive

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Heat Wave Prompts Flex Alert Calling for Voluntary Power Conservation

CITY NEWS SERVICE

With searing heat expected to drive up air- conditioner use across California, the manager of the state’s power grid issued a Flex Alert Wednesday calling on residents to conserve as much electricity as possible from 4 to 9 p.m.

The California Independent System Operator issued the Flex Alert “due to high temperatures pushing up energy demand and tightening available power supplies.”

“With excessive heat in the forecast across much of the state and Western U.S., the grid operator is expecting high electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use, and is calling for voluntary conservation steps to help balance supply and demand,” according to Cal-ISO.

The power system operators warned that more Flex Alerts are likely to be posted in the coming week and through the Labor Day weekend.

During the alerts, residents are urged to take power-saving steps such as

— setting thermostats to 78 degrees or higher;

— avoiding use of major appliances;

— turning off unnecessary lights; and

— avoid charging electric vehicles.

Residents were advised to pre-cool their homes as much as possible, and close blinds and drapes to keep interiors cool.

A Flex Alert is the lowest-level notification issued by Cal-ISO, but if voluntary conservation fails to cut strain on the power grid, the agency could move into a series of emergency alerts that could ultimately lead to rolling blackouts.

blog comments powered by Disqus
x