SLO County could see power outages as California officials issue dire warning
Update, 6 p.m.:
The California Independent Systems Operator has declared an Energy Emergency Alert 3 as of Tuesday evening.
The CAISO warned that “rotating power outages (are) very possible” and urged residents to reduce their energy use as much as possible.
Original story:
State officials begged residents to cut back on their energy use Tuesday to stave off the looming threat of blackouts as California endures what experts are calling one of its longest and hottest September heat waves on record.
Officials asked residents to conserve power Tuesday night during the upcoming Flex Alert, saying the state’s electrical grid is facing one of “the most challenging days ever” due to the ongoing heat wave smothering the region.
“Over the last several days we have seen a positive impact on lowering demand because of everyone’s help, but now we need a reduction in energy use that is two or three times greater than what we’ve seen so far as this historic heat wave continues to intensify,” Elliot Mainzer, California Independent System Operator (CAISO) president and CEO, said in a news release Monday.
In a video shared to his social media Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom also urged conservation, saying triple-digit temperatures across the state have led to near-record-breaking energy demand across the state.
“We’re heading into the worst part of this heat wave, and the risk for outages is real and it’s immediate,” he said.
PG&E on Tuesday said the utility company is preparing to respond to potential power outages related to the ongoing heat wave.
Spokeswoman Carina Corral told The Tribune that if rolling outages occur, SLO County would likely be impacted.
“... It is likely San Luis Obispo County will be included in these outages, should they occur, as the outage blocks are spread across our service territory,” Corral told The Tribune in an email Tuesday morning.
As of 4:30 p.m., PG&E has warned about 525,277 customers to prepare for rolling outages during Tuesday’s Flex Alert, including some in parts of San Luis Obispo County.
Why are rolling outages a possibility?
According to PG&E, Tuesday will mark the seventh consecutive day CAISO has issued a Flex Alert, which urges customers to cut their energy consumption to help reduce stress on the state’s electrical grid.
On Monday, CAISO upgraded its Flex Alert to a second-level energy emergency alert, indicating energy demand was in significant danger of outpacing supply and the operator was requesting emergency energy from suppliers; in a third-level alert, rolling outages are possible.
Tuesday’s alert is set for 4 to 9 p.m.
“A series of days of record-high temperatures has created an enormous demand for energy to power air conditioners, among other challenges,” PG&E said in a news release.
The company said Tuesday could be “among the most challenging days ever for our state’s energy grid,” with forecast electricity demand at 50,087 megawatts, just below the record of 50,270 megawatts set in 2006.
If demand outpaces supply during the peak time, CAISO could order rolling power outages.
Corral said if that happens, PG&E will notify customers through “local media, social media and phone calls to alert them of the situation.”
She said a rotating outage typically lasts one to two hours, and will be moved throughout the company’s service territory “to protect the integrity of our electric system, while limiting the inconvenience to any one customer or community.”
How to check if your home would be impacted by blackouts
If you want to know if your home or business might be impacted by a rolling outage, you can check your outage block on PG&E’s website.
Visit pge.com/rotatingoutages and put in your address in the map tool to be told your outage block (your outage block also appears on your printed bill).
Then if rolling outages are ordered, you can check if your block is on the list to be impacted, as well as the time that the power will be shut off.
If your address shows up as outage block 50, it’s likely you’ll be exempt from most blackouts, because essential services like hospitals or police and fire departments are also on your same circuit.
According to PG&E, more than half of the company’s customers are in outage block 50.
As of 4:30 p.m., the following blocks could be impacted by rolling outages if calls for conservation are unsuccessful: 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, 4G, 4H, 4I, 4J, 4K, 4L, 4M, 4O, 4P, 4Q, 4R, 4S, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F, 5G, 5H, 5I, 5J, 5K, 5L, 5M, 5O, 5P, 5Q, 5R, 5S, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F, 6G, 6H, 6I, 6J, 6K, 6L, 6M, 6O, 6P, 6Q, 6R, 6S, 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E, 7F, 7G, 7H, 7I, 7J, 7K, 7L, 7M, 7O, 7P, 7Q, 7R, 7S, 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 8E, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8I, 8J, 8K, 8L, 8M, 8O, 8P, 8Q, 8R, 8S.
PG&E also said it is monitoring its equipment for heat-related damage during the heat wave, which could cause local outages separate from any ordered rolling outages.
This story was originally published September 6, 2022 at 2:48 PM.
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