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Hot Weather Prompts Grid Operator To Issue Flex Alert For Thursday

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Hot weather prompted California's electric grid operator to issue a statewide Flex Alert for Thursday, encouraging customers to conserve energy between 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) issued the Flex Alert Wednesday evening, calling for voluntary electricity conservation in anticipation of increased demand, primarily from air conditioning use.

Customers are urged to conserve energy during the hottest part of the day, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., by turning off unnecessary lights, refrain from using major appliances, and setting their thermostat to 78 degrees or higher.

Over the summer, previous conservation efforts were praised for reducing the power demand and avoiding rolling blackouts.

The call for conservation comes as PG&E cut power to more than 50,000&E customers due to elevated fire danger. The utility began turning off power in Northern Califonia communities Wednesday around 6 p.m. They expect the outage to last until Friday evening when Red Flag Conditions pass.

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