A seventh consecutive Flex Alert was issued to Californians on Tuesday with warnings from officials that an order to conduct rolling power outages may soon be necessary as energy demand hits record highs.
A Flex Alert, issued by California Independent System Operator, the state’s grid power management, asks residents to voluntarily limit their energy use from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. in an effort to lessen demand on the grid.
However, a news release sent out Tuesday afternoon anticipates ISO to issue an Energy Emergency Alert 3 around 5:30 p.m., one step away from rotating power outages. Electricity demand is expected to exceed 52,000 megawatts, an all-time high.
Surfers ride the waves at the pier in San Clemente, CA on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. A heat wave continued to hover over Southern California with temperature in the 90’s in much of Orange County. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tekosha Seals, a tourist visiting from Georgia, walks with a tower over her head at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. Authorities say California is facing its highest chance of blackouts this week as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket the state with triple-digit heat. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The hazy skyline of downtown Los Angeles is seen from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. Authorities say California is facing its highest chance of blackouts this week as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket the state with triple-digit heat. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
People stay cool at the beach in San Clemente, CA on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. A heat wave continued to hover over Southern California with temperature in the 90’s in much of Orange County. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A hiker walks along a trail at Griffith Park as the hazy skyline of downtown Los Angeles is shown in the distance, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, in Los Angeles. Authorities say California is facing its highest chance of blackouts this week as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket the state with triple-digit heat. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Tourists wait in line to take pictures with a sculpture at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. Authorities say California is facing its highest chance of blackouts this week as a brutal heat wave continues to blanket the state with triple-digit heat. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The EEA 3 alert would allow to state to exhaust all energy reserve options before initiating the rotating power outages, or small-scale controlled interruptions in power, in order to maintain reliability of the grid and prevent a cascading blackout.
Energy consumers would be notified by power providers if rolling outages are necessary, advising consumers of the time and duration of the outage, the ISO said.
The last time rotating outages were used was in August 2020, where about 800,000 residents were impacted over two days.
Outages can last anywhere between 15 minutes to two and a half hours.
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