California heat wave: Electrical grid operator issues Flex Alert
The California Independent System Operator issued a Flex Alert on Wednesday afternoon, asking residents to conserve energy as temperatures began to climb ahead of an expected heat wave.
The alert asks all electricity consumers to look for ways to save energy between 4 and 9 p.m., when demand was expected to peak. Residents are asked to avoid using major appliances and charging electric-car batteries, as well as turning air conditioners to 78 degrees or higher.
Temperatures on Wednesday were forecast to reach into the 90s in the hotter parts of the Bay Area. Brentwood was expected to reach 96 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, while Livermore was set to hit 91. San Jose was expected to register a high temperature around 83 degrees, while Oakland was projected to reach 74.
A short time after issuing the Flex Alert, the Independent System Operator — a nonprofit organization that manages the state’s power grid — also put out an Energy Emergency Alert watch for 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. An EEA watch, according to the ISO website, means that “all available resources” on the grid are “committed or forecasted” to be in use, and any electricty providers are “encouraged to offer supplemental energy.”
The strain on the state’s electrical grid is expected to be even stronger later in the week, when temperatures are forecast to reach well above 100 degrees in some parts of the region and the state.
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