SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an urgent appeal for energy conservation as California continues to boil in a record-breaking heat wave.
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Tuesday is forecast to bring peak heat to California, prompting power grid operators to once again issue a Flex Alert asking everyone to conserve power between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Newsom aided the message in a video Tuesday morning. "Californians you've stepped up to help in a big way to keep the lights on so far, but we're heading into the worst part of this heat wave and the risk for outages is real and it's immediate," he said.
Electrical demand Tuesday afternoon could top 51,000 megawatts — the highest the state has ever seen. According to the California Independent System Operator, the state may fall more than 5,000 megawatts short at peak power hours, leading to rolling blackouts.
PG&E spokesperson Mayra Tostado said the utility has preselected circuit blocks where the power will be turned off. If the call for blackouts goes beyond that timeframe, then PG&E will switch off other blocks and restore power to the original blocks. "This rotating pattern continues until the system event ends and the CAISO directs PG&E and other utilities to restore all customers," she said.
To reduce strain on the power grid and avoid rolling blackouts, Newsom encouraged residents to "step up and do their part."
"Early in the morning hours, particularly tomorrow and the next day or so, pre-cool your home. Run your air conditioning earlier in the day when more power is available and we encourage you to close your windows and blinds to keep your home cool as well," he advised. "Today and tomorrow after 4 p.m. please turn your thermostat up to 78 degrees or higher and avoid to the extent possible using any really large appliances."
California's Office of Emergency Services were also activated Tuesday to monitor the heat event. "Thanks to your conservations efforts yesterday, there were no interruptions to the grid. Today, we need to double down on our efforts to conserve," state officials said.
In the event that blackouts are called, Tostado said it's a good idea to have an emergency plan, especially for those with vulnerable family members who need to stay cool and have their electronic devices charged.
Residents can check their circuit block number on the PG&E website.
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