LOS ANGELES — California officials issued an urgent warning Tuesday to conserve electricity, saying the record-setting heat wave means rolling blackouts are very possible.
The California Independent System Operator said residents should be “ready for potential rotating power outages on Tuesday evening, as the hottest weather of this historic heat wave is forecast to push electricity demand to an all-time high. If outages are initiated, consumers can expect to receive notifications from power providers on areas affected and time duration.”
The agency noted “electricity demand is currently forecast at more than 52,000 megawatts (MW), a new historic all-time high for the grid.”
The heat wave is now expected to last through Friday, but the worst of it could be over for the southern half of the state — even as temperatures remain dangerously high.
For much of Northern California, the heat wave is expected to peak Tuesday — likely hitting all-time records — and temperatures are predicted to remain well above average through the week, according to the National Weather Service.
In a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom called the heat across California unprecedented, and warned that the state is only now headed into the most severe stretch.
“The risk for outages is real and it’s immediate,” Newsom said. “These triple-digit temperatures throughout much of the state are leading, not surprisingly, to record demand on the energy grid.”
He said the heat wave is “on track to be the hottest and longest on record” for California and parts of the West for September.
THE FORECAST
Temperatures are again expected to soar Tuesday across Southern California, reaching into the mid-90s in most metro areas, and up to 115 in the inland valleys and mountains — though slightly below record highs seen this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Downtown Los Angeles, Irvine and Anaheim are expected to see highs close to 95 Tuesday, while Palm Springs could reach up to 115, Palmdale to 108 and Burbank to 102.
Forecasters expect to see “cooling slowly” as the week progresses, the National Weather Service said.
Temperatures in Sacramento Valley broke records Monday, and were only expected to increase Tuesday, according to forecasts. Extreme heat advisories swept across the region, even into typically-temperate Oakland, where temperatures were expected to reach the mid-90s.
POWER WOES
California officials called for a Flex Alert again Tuesday, hoping voluntary power conservation can prevent rolling blackouts as demand peaks.
Key to avoiding blackouts Monday and Tuesday, officials said, is reducing energy use in the hours of greatest consumption: late afternoon and evening.
Californians are strongly urged to lower electricity use by setting thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, health permitting, avoiding use of major appliances, and turning off all unnecessary lights, officials said.
“We need two to three times as much conservation as we’ve been experiencing to keep the power on with these historically high temperatures and demand,” Elliot Mainzer, chief executive of the California Independent System Operator, which runs the state’s power grid, warned at a Monday news conference.
In response to a flex alert first issued Wednesday, Californians have lowered their energy use by about 2%.
“Everyone has to do their part to help step up, for just a few more days ... to help reduce strain on the grid,” Newsom said.
The governor encouraged people to pre-cool their homes earlier in the day Tuesday and Wednesday, to keep out sunlight by keeping blinds closed, and especially to limit electricity use after 4 p.m.
