Sacramento CA— Due to high temperatures in California and most of the western U.S., the California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) has issued a statewide Flex Alert that calls for voluntary electricity conservation from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, and Wednesday, July 25.
A Flex Alert is issued by the ISO when the electricity grid is under stress because of generation or transmission outages, or from persistent hot temperatures.
Consumers are urged to conserve electricity especially during the late afternoon and evening when air conditioners typically are at peak use. Consumers can help avoid power interruptions by turning off all unnecessary lights, using major appliances before 5 p.m. and after 9 p.m., and setting air conditioners to 78 degrees or higher.
The ISO has issued the Flex Alerts due to high temperatures across the western U.S., reduced electricity imports, tight natural gas supplies in the Southern California area, and high wildfire risk.
The ISO has called on all available resources to be available to serve demand, however, conservation is needed to reduce the risk of further emergency measures, including rotating power outages.
The ISO’s service territory serves about 80 percent of California’s electricity consumers.
Consumers are urged to voluntarily conserve electricity to help avoid more serious steps to protect the power grid, including local rotating outages.
Click here to learn more about Flex Alerts and Stage Electrical Emergencies.
For more electricity conservation tips, visit the ISO’s Flex Alert website at http://www.flexalert.org/save-energy