SACRAMENTO, Calif. — 9:40 p.m. update:
Despite Sacramento clocking in its hottest day in recorded history, California was able to avoid rotating outages across the state as the grid neared its limit.
However, the calls for conservation aren't quite over. There are more Flex Alerts through Friday as an unprecedented heat wave continues to broil California.
"We can do this. If we keep it up we can get through this unprecedented heatwave," said Gov. Gavin Newsom on Twitter.
Tuesday saw more demand on the power grid than ever before along with record-breaking temperatures. The California Independent System Operator (ISO) said consumer conservation played a big role in the efforts to stave off outages.
However, the City of Lodi said they were asked to do a controlled outage around 6:20 p.m. Tuesday. It saw a roughly 45-minute outage to more than 1,300 customers in part of the city.
Jeff Berkheimer, electric utility director for Lodi - which has their own electrical services - said the request came from the Northern California Power Agency and Cal ISO.
Anne Gonzales, spokesperson for Cal ISO, said they did not order any rotating outages.
"We held at EEA3 with no load shed, and EEA ended at 8 p.m.," Gonzales said.
Looking ahead, it'll be a mixed bag of news for the weather pattern in Northern California, according to ABC10 Chief Meteorologist Monica Woods.
"The good news is we start seeing temperatures drop to the 90s by the weekend and morning lows get back to the 60s," Woods said. "The bad news is we're going to increase our fire risk as thunderstorms move into the forecast next week."
8:20 p.m. update:
The California Independent System Operator ended its Energy Emergency Alert 3 with no rotating power outages for the night. Officials said consumer conservation played a big role in protecting the power grid.
7:50 update:
A controlled outage swept through Lodi temporarily leaving around 1,372 customers without power.
Jeff Berkheimer, electric utility director for Lodi - which has their own electrical services - said the request came from the Northern California Power Agency and the California Independent System Operator.
He said power was temporarily out for about 45 minutes, starting around 6:20 p.m. The areas impacted were Park West, Lodi West, Harvest Crossing, Bridgetown and Wine & Roses.
While officials are in standby mode for any other potential controlled outages, they aren't expecting any more at this time.
7:30 p.m. update:
Power is out in Davis for more 12,000 customers, according to PG&E.
Few details surrounding the outage have been released. However, PG&E says the outage is related to the weather. California is currently in the grips of an extreme heat wave.
The outage in Davis started around 5:10 p.m. It's not known when power will be restored for all customers.
7 p.m. update:
Power outages are impacting customers in communities in Placer and Nevada counties.
The outages come as the state's power grid operator warns of possible and imminent rotating outages to lessen strain on the power grid. However, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) has not called for those outages at this time.
According to PG&E, the outages in Nevada and Placer counties are still being investigated. For now, about 2,700 customers are without power in the Foresthill area of Placer County and more than 1,000 are impacted around Penn Valley and Rough and Ready in Nevada County.
For updates from PG&E on those outages, click HERE.
6:15 p.m. update:
Officials say power supplies are running low as California grapples with a record-breaking heat wave.
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) declared an Energy Emergency Alert 3 and are anticipating a deficiency in supply. Cal ISO is able to order rotating power outages to lower demand and stabilize the system, however, they have not called for the option at this time.
"Controlled power outages are now imminent or in process according to each utility’s emergency plan," according to a news release from Cal ISO.
The ISO said customers can expect calls, texts or emails if they order rotating power outages.
5:50 p.m. update:
The state's independent grid operator said rotating power outages are very possible and are calling on people to conserve power.
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) declared an Energy Emergency Alert 3 and are anticipating an energy deficiency. However, Cal ISO has not called for the rotating outages at this time.
The California Office of Emergency Services added that extreme heat is straining the electrical grid and has joined calls for people to conserve.
5:10 p.m. Update:
Imminent outages are possible in Sutter County, officials said Tuesday afternoon.
Sutter County officials said on Facebook that PG&E notified them that portions of Sutter County could be impacted by rotating outages. California energy grid operator warned earlier that strain on the grid could result in rotating power outages during a record-breaking heat wave.
Rotating outages have not been announced at this time, however, power could be out for up to two hours if they happen.
4:40 p.m. Update:
An outage impacting the West Sacramento area has now left nearly 4,000 customers without power.
According to PG&E, the outage was caused by the weather. California is currently grappling with a record-breaking heat wave.
Power has been out since 3:50 p.m., and there's no estimate on when power will return. To view the outage map from PG&E, click HERE.
The City of West Sacramento the outages have grown to the Bryte and Broderick neighborhoods. Cooling zones are open at City Hall, the Recreation Center and the Community Center.
4:20 p.m. update:
An unknown number of people were impacted by a power outage in the areas of Ceres, Hughson and Keyes.
According to Turlock Irrigation District, customers have had their power restored. Power was restored around 4:07 p.m.
Among those impacted was the Ceres Unified School District. A district spokesperson said the outage happened around the afternoon, but schools stayed open until their regular dismissal times. Officials said power was restored at the district office and the schools.
The outage was not a result of the potential rolling blackouts other utilities have been warning about.
4 p.m. Update:
PG&E officials say they warned about 525,000 California customers to prepare for potential rotating power blackouts.
Though the California Independent System Operator (ISO) has not asked PG&E to carry out rotating blackouts, according to the company. However, more than 1,100 West Sacramento customers have been without power since about 3 p.m.
City officials said around 1,700 total utilities customers are facing blackouts because of extreme heat reaching unprecedented levels.
Initial determinations by PG&E also cite the weather as reason for the outages, and there is currently no estimated time of power restoration for West Sacramento customers.
Police also report signal lights are down in the area of Industrial Boulevard and Enterprise Drive.
Original Story:
Chances for rotating blackouts across California remain high Tuesday as the state's Independent System Operator (ISO) is expected to declare a level 3 Energy Emergency Alert around 5:30 p.m., which could lead to rotating outages.
The state managed Monday to get through the first of multiple forecasted days of unprecedented heat that threatens the state's power grid. According to ABC10 Chief Meteorologist Monica Woods, the hottest time of day typically falls between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
"A mixed bag of news with our weather pattern - the good news is we start seeing temperatures drop to the 90s by the weekend, and morning lows get back to the 60s. The bad news is we're going to increase our fire risk as thunderstorms move into the forecast next week," Woods said.
Statewide Flex Alerts are extended through Friday, and forecasts show peak energy demand at more than 52,000 megawatts—which would set a new record from the previous high of 50,270 megawatts in 2006.
Click here to view the real-time power grid capacity.
“This is an extraordinary heat event we are experiencing, and the efforts by consumers to lean in and reduce their energy use after 4 p.m. are absolutely essential,” said California ISO president and CEO Elliot Mainzer.
The ISO declared an Energy Emergency Alert 2 for 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., which allows them to tap into emergency demand response programs that provide financial incentives for reducing energy use.
A Flex Alert is set for Tuesday after 4 p.m., according to the California ISO.
Other Resources:
Here's a map of California statewide outages using data from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&)E and Southern California Edison (SCE).
Officials are asking Californians to do the following before 4 p.m.:
- Pre-cool home by setting the thermostat to as low as 72 degrees
- Use major appliances, including:
- Washer and dryer
- Dishwasher
- Oven and stove for pre-cooking and preparing meals
- Adjust blinds and drapes to cover windows
They're also asking Californians to do the following between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.:
- Set the thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits
- Avoid using major appliances
- Turn off all unnecessary lights
