The California grid operator said at 8 p.m. that there will be no switching outages on Tuesday night thanks to people’s efforts to save energy. At 8pm, the grid operator ended Energy Emergency Alert (EEO) 3 with no cargo sheds for the night. Consumer protection has played a large role in protecting the reliability of the electric grid. Thanks, California! — California ISO (@California_ISO) September 7, 2022 An ISO spokesman regrets that it is not currently known why some municipalities went ahead with outages without being ordered by the network operator.
California’s energy consumption is at an all-time high
The California Independent System Operator, which manages most of the state’s electricity grid, said at 7:11 p.m. that demand on the grid had reached 52,061 megawatts, the highest level ever. Peak ISO grid demand in California reached 52,061 MW, a new all-time record. Still kept in EEA3 – hangar unloaded. Conservation makes a difference. https://t.co/9gv5TqmPuQ — California ISO (@California_ISO) September 7, 2022 The ISO issued a Level 3 energy emergency alert earlier on Tuesday. It’s a step away from the point where the agency orders utilities to cut AC power. The ISO said it is still at level 3 and is not calling for power outages at this point. “Conservation makes a difference,” ISO said.
Healdsburg begins rolling blackouts
September 6, 7 p.m A Bay Area municipality began cutting power Tuesday night to ease the strain on California’s power grid. The city of Healdsburg in North Bay said Tuesday at 6:39 p.m. that the power goes out to block one in the next 10 minutes. Block two will follow in about 30 minutes, the utility said. The outage will last about an hour per zone, the city said. The Healdsburg Department of Electric Services provides electric service to approximately 12,000 residents in Sonoma County. The California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s power grid, has warned that power outages are possible on Tuesday, but has stopped short of making an official statement that it will order utilities to cut off customers.
California braces for possible rolling shutdowns
September 6, 2:54 pm Amid a record heat wave in California, PG&E said Tuesday afternoon that it has notified 525,000 customers to prepare for possible rolling outages as power consumption in the state soars to all-time highs. PG&E shared a list of blocks that could be affected Tuesday between 4 and 9 p.m.: 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, . 6F, 6G, 6H, 6I, 6J, 6K, 6L, 6M, 6O, 6P, 6Q, 6R, 6S, 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D, 7E, 7F, 7G, 7H, 7I, 7JL, 7K, 7M, 7O, 7P, 7Q, 7R, 7S, 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 8E, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8I, 8J, 8K, 8L, 8M, 8O, 8P, 8Q, 8R, 8S. You can find out what block you live on and whether you’ll be affected by entering your address into a tool on PG&E’s website. The California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s power grid, warned that blackouts are possible Tuesday if people don’t conserve energy and demand exceeds what’s available through the state’s power grid. The ISO said demand on Tuesday could exceed 52,000 megawatts, the highest the state has ever seen. The state could be more than 5,000 megawatts short during peak power hours between 4 and 9 p.m., forcing the need for blackouts. But if residents are able to save energy, keep their dishwashers off and turn off unnecessary lights, the shutdown won’t be necessary. “We’re heading into the worst part of this heat wave and the risk of disruption is real and imminent,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a video posted on Twitter. “These triple-digit temperatures across much of our state are driving, not surprisingly, record demand on the energy grid.” Rolling blackouts, or rolling blackouts, are a last resort to prevent the state’s power grid from collapsing. They move from area to area, so a single neighborhood is not in the dark for long. They are designed to reduce strain on the network and prevent long-term outages. The last time the ISO called for rolling outages was on August 14 and 15, 2020, when 800,000 homes were affected with outages ranging from 15 minutes to 2.5 hours. The ISO is the organization that calls the outage, and it’s up to utilities like PG&E to decide who to cut and for how long, with the goal of keeping them as short as possible. PG&E spokesman Jason King told SFGATE that if required, the utility will temporarily shut down power with alternating blocks. Each block includes a mix of neighborhoods scattered throughout the service area so that one geographic location does not bear the brunt of the weight. One block won’t see more than one 60-90 minute outage, King said. (You can look up your block number on the PG&E website.) Breaks are probably between 6 and 8 p.m. and will be extended depending on the severity of the deficit. PG&E said it will contact Bay Area customers if possible about any outages via text, email and/or phone. State officials are urging residents to reduce energy use to prevent the need for rolling blackouts, and the ISO declared an Energy Emergency Alert 2 on Tuesday from 4 to 9 p.m. as a dishwasher and lights out. This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available. More heat wave news in the Bay Area
