Wildfires and a heatwave on the West Coast is forecasted to impact California's electric grid at the beginning of this week.
The California Independent System Operator issued a another (ISO) statewide Flex Alert has been issued for Monday, July 12th from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The fast-moving Bootleg Fire burning in Oregon knocked transmission lines Friday and Saturday which limited electricity for from the Pacific Northwest to California and other states, according to state operators.
With transmission lines from Oregon still unreliable due to #BootlegFire & continued high temperatures, the California ISO issued a statewide #FlexAlert for Monday, July 12, from 4-9 p.m. Consumers are urged to #conserveenergy to help stabilize the grid. https://t.co/PQHFuzyHyx pic.twitter.com/PZtz8SE4Xn
— California ISO (@California_ISO) July 12, 2021
Officials said the power supplies to the California service area, about 80% of the state, have been reduced by 3,500 megawatts due to the fire.
That combined with the excessive heat across the state is driving up demand for electricity.
People are asked to conserve as much electricity as possible between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to reduce stress on the grid during those peak hours.
To help reduce consumption, consumers are strongly encouraged to take these specific actions:
- Set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, if your health permits
- Avoid using major appliances, like dish washers and clothes washers and dryers
- Turn off all unnecessary lights
Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to quickly secure additional power that has helped maintain grid stability through the weekend. The executive order remains in place.
If electricity demand exceeds supple, the ISO said it could order utility companies to issue rotating power outages for a short duration.
